


that’s why you like it

by merlypops



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Anxiety, Athlete Calum, BUT NOT KAREN CLIFFORD BECAUSE I LOVE KAREN CLIFFORD, Blow Jobs, Body Worship, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Comeplay, Coming Out, Coming Untouched, Declarations Of Love, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Family Fluff, Feminine Michael, Feminization, Fingerfucking, First Kiss, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Forgiveness, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Frottage, Grinding, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Insecure Michael, Kissing, Light Angst, Loss of Virginity, Loving Calum, M/M, Making Love, Making Out, Marriage Proposal, Meet-Cute, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Overstimulation, Reunions, Rimming, Self-Esteem Issues, Sexual Content, Shower Sex, Smut, but only a tiny bit so it's a-okay, fetus michael, so calum is 20 and michael is 17, unsupportive parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-25 09:09:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 69,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6188597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merlypops/pseuds/merlypops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Everything I do is oh-so-wrong.</i>
  <br/>
  <i>That's why you like it.</i>
</p><p>'“Like this,” Calum said softly, his breath warm on the back of Michael’s neck, making him shiver as he helped the golden-haired boy throw a proper punch. It was a lot more controlled but Michael barely noticed it. He was too focused on the warmth of Calum’s body soaking into his from behind and the way he could feel Calum’s smile pressed to his shoulder.<br/>“There,” Calum said softly, hands moving hesitantly as he stepped away, taking his warmth with him. “I think you’ve got it now, Mike.”'</p><p>
  <b>Calum starts doing workouts in the garden over the summer and Michael spends the whole time with his hand down his pants (until Calum takes matters into his own hands).</b>
</p><p>Based on “Strange Boy” by Kerli.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Prefer Green Eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Deja32](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deja32/gifts).



> Deja, this one’s for you. You’re the Calum to my Michael.
> 
> This fic is complete and utter filth (AKA smut and fluff)... and I’m honestly so happy about that. This fic essentially stemmed from me realising that Fensterln (a fic I wrote a few years ago now) was fun to write but probably not written that well… so I decided to do better.
> 
> This is basically just Malum being all smutty and cute and sickening. I hope you guys will like it!

Michael was woken up by the sound of the removal truck beeping as it reversed into the driveway next door. The house had been empty for weeks now, ever since old Mrs. Bryant had moved away to be with her new boyfriend in Adelaide. Michael hoped there would be someone younger moving in next door. Maybe someone who would play video games with him! (Maybe someone _hot_.)

Michael hauled himself out of bed in his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pyjamas. His sandy-coloured hair was sticking up messily and his green eyes were puffy with sleep when he padded out onto the landing to have a look through the hall window. Michael’s palm flattened on the cool glass and his heart did a funny little skip in his chest when he saw the man who was presumably his new next door neighbour.

Michael _said_ man but the guy couldn’t have been that much older than him really. Michael was already sixteen - seventeen in about a month’s time, thank you _very_ much - and the (worryingly attractive) dark-haired man standing outside now couldn’t have been much more than twenty.

Michael was seeing dark curls and chocolate brown eyes; he was seeing tanned, tattooed skin and lean muscles; he was seeing broad shoulders and loose shorts clinging to well-muscled thighs and - _fuck_ \- Michael kind of had a chub going on now.

The window was cracked open to let a largely non-existent breeze in and, almost like the stranger could tell that Michael was watching him, the older man looked up.

“Oh,” he said, dimples appearing in his cheeks as he smiled. “Hi there. I hope we didn’t wake you.” He gestured to the removal van as he said it, biceps flexing as he thumbed towards the four workers loading his furniture off the van.

He was moving in on his _own_? Michael felt his eyes widen in shock. This guy was like a real adult or something!

“How old are you?” Michael asked stupidly, instead of saying something normal like: “Welcome to the neighbourhood” or “Hi, my name’s Michael”.

The older man’s face crinkled up as he smiled but he wandered a little closer, trainers almost touching the low stone wall that separated their front gardens. Michael’s cat Teddy curled up on there sometimes in the sun. Michael loved Teddy.

“I’m twenty,” the dark-haired man said easily, running a hand through his curls and suppressing a smile when he saw Michael following the movement with wide eyes. “What about you? Hang on, let me guess… Seventeen? Eighteen?”

Michael was glowing with pride now.

“I’m sixteen. Almost seventeen though,” the younger boy said but some of the colour had faded from his cheeks now and his smile felt a little bit less like it was about to crack his face. “What’s your name? Where did you come from?”

“Is this an interrogation?” the older man teased but his dimples were still creasing his cheeks and Michael’s knees felt weak now. The guy was so, _so_ nice to look at. Living next door to him was going to be _painful_. The stranger was probably the most beautiful person Michael (and his dick) had ever seen.

“My name’s Calum,” the dark-haired man said, still smiling. God, did he ever _stop_? “I moved here for my new job. I just came out of university.”

“Oh cool,” Michael said, giving the stiff window a shove with his shoulder in an attempt to open it wider. He squeaked when it suddenly creaked open and the dark-haired man looked worried.

“Please don’t fall out of the window,” the guy - Calum - said anxiously. “You’re way too cute to smush your face on the pavement.”

’ _He called me cute. Oh my god. Oh my **god**._ ’

Michael was about as red as Raphael’s mask now and, as he processed this, he immediately flushed even brighter because getting caught by the most beautiful godlike human being on the planet in _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle_ pyjamas was probably not a good way to get the aforementioned human to fall in love with him… or at least kiss him a bit.

Michael wasn’t fussy. Just pretty gay. (And **cute** \- Calum had _said_ so!)

“I’m not cute,” Michael stammered suddenly, voice several octaves too high, cheeks still flaming. “I’m punk rock!”

“Very punk rock,” Calum said but he was smiling so wide now that Michael thought he might be having heart palpitations. Calum glanced back guiltily towards the removal van. “Well, I better go see if I can help them, mysterious-cute-boy-who-won’t-tell-me-his-name. I’m sure we’ll catch up again soon though.”

Calum loped away with an awkward wave that decidedly _didn’t_ make Michael’s heart melt and the dark-haired man was already halfway across the driveway when the younger boy found his tongue.

“I’m Michael!” the golden-haired boy called as Calum looked back at him with a smile on his face. “My name is Michael.”

“Nice to meet you, Michael,” Calum said, chocolate brown eyes crinkling again. “I think living next door to you is going to be _fun_.”

Michael felt like he was walking on air as he stumbled back into his bedroom in a daze.

He was thinking just the same thing. 

*

It had been a month.

Calum had been living next door to Michael for a _month_ now and they’d barely spoken to each other yet. Michael thought Calum had probably had more conversations with the younger boy’s _parents_ than him now and it was very unfortunate.

Michael was slightly heartbroken about it honestly; they only ever said hello when they were leaving the house at the same time, just waved at each other through windows.

The last time Michael had even seen Calum now had been several days ago; the younger boy had been in the supermarket with his mum when he’d seen Calum, got over-excited and dropped a bag of kiwi fruits. Michael had watched in dismay as the fruits rolled all over the floor and Karen had batted him round the head lightly with her shopping list, much to Calum’s amusement.

Maybe the older man was doing Michael a _favour_ by actually having a social life and going outside to interact with other humans every day.

Maybe he was saving Michael from a whole lot of embarrassment and the newly-turned-seventeen year old should try to forget about him -

And then Calum started working out in his back garden every morning and all thoughts of forgetting about the dark-haired man went out of the window.

Michael had started setting his alarm to wake up in time to see it now, even if it _was_ during his break from school. The golden-haired boy sat hunched up in his swivel chair and watched out of the window as Calum strode out into the early morning light, generally wearing nothing but shorts and a tank top because even that early in the morning it was still hot.

Calum always did stretches first, muscles rippling beneath his soft-looking tanned skin as he warmed up. It was usually getting brighter by this point, the early morning sunlight just clearing the roofs so that Calum glowed golden. Michael didn’t even care that he was being dramatic probably; Calum was an honest-to-god masterpiece.

Next came the jogging. Calum ran laps up and down the garden like a puppy, trainers moving lightly over the short grass. (Calum was always outside mowing the lawn and it was rapidly becoming one of Michael’s favourite things, even if it _did_ give him hay fever because - sometimes if he was very lucky - Calum did it _shirtless_. It was honestly the best thing ever.)

Calum started doing spotty dogs and high knee lifts after that, his breathing loud in the quiet of the morning as his curls began to stick to his forehead with sweat. Michael hadn’t known what those exercises were called before but he’d looked them up recently (and if his hand had been down his pants at the time, that was impossible to prove.)

After the jogging, Calum almost always went to take a drink from the plastic bottle of water he brought outside with him. The back of his vest slipped up when he bent down to pick it up sometimes, and Michael could see the muscles flexing in Calum’s back where he was hot and starting to sweat.

Next came the push-ups and sit-ups (and possibly the sexual frustration but, again, nothing could be proved). Michael liked watching Calum working out; he liked the way his muscles tensed and relaxed, how the sweat made his skin gleam… and also potentially how great his arse looked in the shorts he was wearing. (Michael couldn’t deny that one but he wasn’t ashamed. He was only human after all.)

Calum usually disappeared into his garage after that, where the sounds of weights clinking and fists hitting a punch bag could be heard for the next twenty minutes. Michael wished he could watch what Calum was doing in there but the garage was on the wrong side of the house and Michael wouldn’t be able to look in without one of those weird mirror things they used on submarines. Periscopes, were they called? Michael wasn’t totally sure.

That was beside the point though. He didn’t want to get arrested or creep the poor guy out. He just kind of… fancied Calum. A _lot_.

The dark-haired man was currently lying on his back now, having just finished his sit-ups. His water bottle was empty and he looked tired as he lay there on the sun-warmed ground. Michael’s emerald green eyes were probably a little bit dark as he traced Calum’s tanned skin hungrily but it didn’t _matter_ because Michael was lurking half-hidden behind his curtains and there was literally no chance of him being spotted.

For the second time since he’d moved in, Calum seemed to know that Michael was watching him.

The dark-haired man looked up with twinkling eyes and dimpled sweetly at Michael, winking when the golden-haired boy flushed scarlet at having been caught spying. The younger boy took his hand out of his pants meekly, praying that whatever he may or may not have been doing was hidden beneath the window - and again, nothing could be proved. Michael was innocent or something. Honestly.

Calum mouthed something at him but Michael had never been very good at lip-reading. He screwed his eyes up against the sun as he looked at Calum, cupping his eyes against the glass as the bright light outside momentarily dazzled him. Michael was literally a vampire bat… who still had no clue what Calum was saying. Damnit.

The younger boy motioned for Calum to wait before he glanced at the empty water bottle and disappeared from his room. At least he wasn’t wearing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pyjamas this time; instead he was wearing grey denim shorts and a bright orange Dragon Ball Z t-shirt that was probably his favourite thing ever.

Michael was still squinting at the sunlight when he emerged into the garden, peering around through his eyelashes until his eyes had adjusted to the light. Calum was waiting by their fence, arms folded on top as he smiled at Michael, his white teeth gleaming.

The fence still smelt faintly of creosote where Daryl and Michael had painted it a few months earlier, and it came all the way up to Michael’s chin. It was barely chest height for Calum though and Michael had this revelation where he realised quite how _tall_ Calum was… and broad… and muscular… and beautiful.

Michael sloshed water onto the paving stones when he reached up to pass Calum the glass of water he’d collected for him from the kitchen. The older man’s face creased into a smile, dark eyes crinkling as he took it.

“Thank you, Mike!” Calum grinned, downing most of it in one go. He let out a contented sigh as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and Michael tried to be more subtle as he watched the muscles in Calum’s tanned throat working as he swallowed. (Michael’s excitement at being called ‘Mike’ by Calum was hopefully suitably masked.) The older man smelt like sweat and grass now from where he’d been lying down but Michael was still a tiny bit hard, and he hoped Calum couldn’t tell.

“What were you saying when I was upstairs?” Michael asked to distract him. Calum let out a soft peal of laughter.

“I just said good morning to you. Didn’t realise you couldn’t lip-read,” the dark-haired man teased.

“Oh god,” Michael groaned, cheeks flaming. He laughed awkwardly. “Well, good morning anyway.” Michael took in the sweat beading on Calum’s forehead and the muscles relaxing in his broad shoulders as his expression softened. “Doesn’t doing all this exercise make you tired?”

“Kind of.” Calum shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal and Michael smiled shyly as he took the now-empty glass back, setting it on the rusting iron table nearby.

“You work out a lot,” Michael said. “Which I think is impressive, given how fucking _hot_ it is here.” Even for Australia, they were having a ridiculously hot summer. Michael’s golden hair was sticking to his pale forehead with sweat already and his t-shirt was clinging to his skin which was probably ridiculously unappealing.

The sky overhead was vast and empty, stretching a vibrant blue as far as the eye could see.

“Well, I’m bulking up,” Calum said defensively although his lips were still tugging up into a smile. “For football, see? I’m captain of the team and I have to be in top form for this season. It’s an important one.”

Michael had never been bothered about football before but now his mouth was kind of watering as he imagined Calum running around a field in shorts; muscles rippling, tanned skin glowing in the sunlight, dark curls pushed back out of his face as his expression became determined, well-muscled leg drawing back to boot the football into the goal.

“You watch me work out a lot,” Calum said suddenly, drawing Michael back. The seventeen year old’s cheeks flushed scarlet and Calum suppressed his smile with difficulty.

“Well, you’re fit,” Michael explained like it made perfect sense. He immediately blushed brighter but, this time, Calum’s soft cheeks reddened too. The older man smiled bashfully.

“Thanks,” he said and Michael covered his face with his hands, smiling stupidly despite himself. “What’re you laughing at?” Calum asked curiously and Michael shrugged.

“Your biceps are bigger than my future,” he said. Calum snorted, reaching over the fence to brush Michael’s shoulder lightly with his knuckles. It was the first time Calum had ever touched him and Michael felt like he’d been shocked with an electric current. Calum’s skin was soft and warm, and Michael’s head almost hit the fence when he stumbled.

“That’s probably not true,” Calum said teasingly, chocolate brown eyes sparkling. “But, y’know, I do weights a lot too… in my garage. And I punch stuff.”

“Stuff?” Michael teased, emerald green eyes twinkling. Calum smiled, teeth sinking into his full bottom lip.

“Punching bags. Sometimes with boxing gloves, y’know?” The dark-haired man grinned but he still looked faintly embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his neck. His arm muscles flexed again and Michael wished he didn’t look so undoubtedly noodle-like by comparison. “It’s a very good stress-reliever. You should try it.”

“Honestly? Can you actually imagine _me_ punching something and not breaking my hand in the process?” Michael asked, eyebrow raised. Calum grinned, rolling his eyes as he reached over.

“Give me your hand,” he said and Michael totally _wasn’t_ shaking when he reached out towards Calum with a questioning look on his face. The dark-haired man curled Michael’s hand up gently, untucking his thumb and giving the younger boy’s hand a comforting squeeze as he helped him form a fist. “Punch like that and you won’t break your hand. I’ll show you properly sometime.”

“You promise?” Michael asked and Calum grinned, drawing his arm back over the fence.

“Promise,” the dark-haired man confirmed. “I helped out at this summer camp thing last year for extra credit and I had to teach all of the kids there about self-defence and stuff. It’s cool honestly.”

Michael felt like Calum had punched him in the stomach as all of his breath tore out of him in a small hurt sound. ‘ _All of the kids._ ’ Michael was kind of pouting now and Calum was watching him with worried confusion, like he didn’t know what he’d done wrong.

“I’m not a kid,” Michael pointed out, fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt nervously. “I’m seventeen. I’m not a kid,” he repeated for good measure. His bottom lip was jutting out though and his pale cheeks were stained red. When Michael finally dragged his gaze up unwillingly, it was to discover that Calum’s puzzled expression was much softer.

“I know you’re not,” the dark-haired man said sincerely and it sounded like he meant it. “I just mean that I’d actually have a clue what I was teaching you, y’know? I wouldn’t be, like, talking rubbish to try and impress you or something.”

Michael smiled despite himself, cherry-red lips tugging up into an unwilling grin as he looked up at Calum, squinting against the sun.

“You’re already quite impressive,” the younger boy said honestly. "That's why I was watching you." 

*

Michael was just having an afternoon nap when he woke up to the sound of laughter coming from the garden next door. His green eyes blinked open slowly and he stared up hazily at the ceiling as he tried to wake up. Daryl was out now but Michael could hear his mum singing in the kitchen as she did the washing up. Michael padded out on bare feet to see her.

“Your friend Calum’s outside,” Karen said as she put a plate in the drying rack. “He’s with his friends. Why don’t you go and say hello?”

“Calum’s not my friend,” Michael said automatically, hoping (probably in vain) that his bitterness was hidden. “He’s twenty. I’m only seventeen. I don’t think it counts.”

“Your father was four years older than me when I met him,” Karen said cheerfully as she began to wash a glass. “And now he’s my husband.”

Michael spluttered indignantly from the doorway, folding his arms over his chest as he bristled.

“I thought you just said he was my friend! And now you’re talking about _marriage_? I’m not going to marry Calum!” Michael exclaimed, flushed bright red. The dark-haired man looked over at that, winking at Michael although he was apparently doing his best to pretend to be offended anyway.

That was when Michael realised the window was open.

“Oh my god,” Michael breathed, mortified. “Kill me. Just drown me in the washing up bowl. Please. If you love me, you will.”

Karen laughed. “Maybe later,” she said. “Go outside and get some vitamin D first. We can discuss your untimely demise tonight.”

Michael was sulking when he stamped out into the back garden, easing his mobile phone out of his pocket. The glare of the sunlight was way too bright considering he hadn’t put any sunscreen on so Michael headed over to the shade of the eucalyptus trees in their back garden, towering up into the cloudless blue sky with their silvery bark. Michael sat down against the trunk of one of them, opening the Twitter app on his phone so that he could low-key stalk Harry Styles.

Calum was still in the garden, dressed only in a pair of three-quarter length denim jeans and a backwards snapback. He had _so_ many tattoos and it was only when Michael was scanning the feather inked into the older man’s collarbone that he realised his phone screen had gone black.

There were three other people in the garden with Calum and Michael’s green eyes drifted over to them unconsciously when the dark-haired man disappeared into the house to get something.

There were two guys and one girl, and all of them looked about Calum’s age. A curly-haired man was standing at the barbecue, glasses sliding down his nose as he grilled burgers and hummed along to whatever song was playing on the radio. Michael figured the pretty blonde lady standing beside him was the curly-haired man’s girlfriend; she was dressed in a pretty blue sundress that Michael’s mum probably would have liked and her sunkissed skin was glowing in the sunlight.

The other guy was taller than the rest of them and his shoulders were even broader than _Calum’s_. The man had blond hair and piercing blue eyes, and his lip-ring caught the sunlight when he smiled upon Calum’s return, throwing his arm easily around the dark-haired man’s shoulders.

“C’mon, Cal,” the blond man grinned, voice carrying into the golden-haired boy’s garden. “Ash says the burgers are almost ready.”

Michael scowled. He was trying hard not to be jealous but… but it looked like this blond man might be Calum’s _boyfriend_ and… yeah, okay, Michael was probably going to die alone with only his worryingly large collection of Tamagotchis for companionship.

Michael wasn’t even sad now. He wasn’t even going to cry later so shut up.

Calum looked up suddenly, maybe like he’d glimpsed Michael wilting out of the corner of his dark eyes. The older man’s expression softened as he came over to the fence, pausing to wave at Karen who was still watching very obviously through the window before he looked over at Michael, beckoning him over. The golden-haired boy was still frowning distractedly when he got to his feet. “Are you okay, Mike?” Calum asked gently, his dark puppy eyes worried. “You look sad.”

“I’m not sad,” Michael grumbled. “You should go back to your boyfriend. You don’t want your burgers to burn.”

“What?” Calum asked blankly, staring at Michael with absolute confusion for a moment before his expression cleared. “Oh, do you mean Ashton? No, he’s going out with Bryana.”

Michael gave Calum a funny look and the dark-haired man gawped at him for a moment before he pulled a face (which, admittedly, did make Michael feel better). “Oh wait, do you mean _Luke_? God, not a chance!”

The blond man - Luke - looked up at the mention of his name, blue eyes glittering as he trotted over to the pair of them. Bryana looked up too and she nudged her boyfriend Ashton, nodding towards Michael where he could just about see over the fence. The curly-haired man had dished the burgers up now and it looked like there were a few extra. Michael’s mouth watered despite himself.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Bryana said, smiling encouragingly at him. Michael went red because, sure, maybe he _was_ gay but the blonde woman looked like a real-life angel. “What’s your name?”

“This is Michael,” Calum said, chocolate brown eyes twinkling.

“Oh, Cal’s told us all about you,” Ashton said kindly, much to Calum’s apparent chagrin. He had dimples when he smiled too. Luke’s expression was almost challenging now but there was something faintly teasing in his eyes all the same. Michael kind of wanted to crouch down and hide behind the fence. He hated being the centre of attention.

“You weren’t kidding about how cute he is,” Bryana said teasingly, nudging Calum in the bare ribs with her elbow. Michael’s eyes flickered down, took in the tanned skin and the tattoos… swallowed audibly as he dragged his gaze back up to Calum’s beautiful face.

Luke stuck his tongue out at Michael but he also winked at him which made hating him hard. He was only teasing. Michael should stop being such a gigantic five year old for getting upset about it probably.

“Yeah, Mikey is pretty cute,” Calum said and Michael actually had to hold onto the fence upon hearing that because had Calum _seriously_ just said that to him? God, Michael could die happy now; he wasn’t even thinking about Tamagotchis anymore.

Luke gave Michael a knowing look as he wrapped his arm around Calum, blue eyes twinkling when Michael immediately started sulking again. It wasn’t _fair_ that Calum was always separated from him by a fence - or some runaway kiwi fruits - and Luke got to hug him. Michael was almost at _Hulk_ levels of (probably unrighteous) jealous anger right now.

“What’s wrong, Michael?” Luke asked cheerfully, his voice practically a _chirp_ as he beamed at the younger boy who was _beyond_ disgruntled. Calum rolled his eyes, shoving Luke off goodnaturedly, even as the blond man pressed a purposefully sloppy kiss to his friend’s cheek.

“Don’t be a dick,” Calum said, fighting a smile when Luke pretended to be offended. “Sorry, you’re not my type, Hemmings. I prefer green eyes.” Calum’s gaze flickered over to Michael’s overheated face and the younger boy stared at him, vaguely flailing to death now because how was this even _happening_?! Calum was hot and amazing and Michael was… _not_.

“Better go dish out the burgers,” Ashton said into the slightly strained silence that followed - only strained because Michael was sort of hyperventilating now but that was okay; no one seemed to be judging him. “You want to help me, you little shit?” the curly-haired man asked Luke, snagging the blond man’s collar and hauling him away.

Bryana smiled fondly as she followed them, leaving only Calum standing by the fence.

“I’m sorry about my friends,” he said, soft cheeks heating a little as he held onto the top of the fence with both hands. “They can be a bit full-on… Luke especially.” Michael forced a shrug and Calum bit his lip, watching the younger boy carefully. “Come round the front, okay? I’ll let you in. You look like you need a burger, Mikey.”

“Okay,” Michael murmured, smiling despite himself. “But only if you teach me how to punch afterwards. Deal?”

Calum smiled, dimples creasing his cheeks as he reached to give Michael’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.

“Deal.”

*

Ashton was a good barbecue chef. (His words, not Michael’s.) He’d burnt the burgers just enough that Michael wasn’t worried about food poisoning but he could still kind of taste the beef. Considering how Daryl’s barbecued food tasted like it had been tossed into a volcano, Michael was going to consider this one a win.

Karen had given her son a knowing look when he’d passed through the kitchen with flaming cheeks. She’d said: “Oh, I thought he _wasn’t_ your friend?” Michael had just rolled his eyes at her and she’d reached to flatten a lock of his golden hair carefully. Michael loved his mum.

She was back in the house making dinner for Michael’s dad now though and the golden-haired boy was sitting in the garden with Calum’s friends. Bryana was sitting cross-legged on the grass beside him, petting his hair like he was a tiny kitten while Ashton watched them fondly. Calum and Luke were chatting about football, lounging easily on the grass too, muscled arms stretched out behind them to support them. Calum’s wrist was warm where it was brushing lightly against Michael’s thigh and the younger boy kept feeling himself getting distracted by it so answering Bryana’s curious questions about how his classes at school were going was actually surprisingly difficult.

“We’re going down to that Grandma’s Bar place later,” Ashton said when the sun began to set. The sky was lavender overhead now, and Michael was sleepy and content, full of food as he sat in the grass. Somehow during the last hour his head had fallen to rest on Calum’s broad shoulder. Neither of them mentioned it.

“That’s the place that does jaffles, right?” Luke asked, looking up hopefully. “God, I love jaffles.”

“Dude, you just ate like four burgers,” Calum grinned, kicking Luke lightly in the shin because he was apparently too comfy to get up. “You can’t want toasted sandwiches too.”

“Cal, I _always_ want toasted sandwiches. A body like this doesn’t just happen overnight,” Luke joked, patting his totally flat stomach stupidly. Michael went red, his arms folding over his own soft belly protectively. Maybe he shouldn’t have eaten all those burgers. Calum was probably going to think he was such a pig now.

“You talk so much shit, Hemmings,” Calum said but he was grinning. “I’m not gonna go out tonight though. I’m staying in with Mikey instead. I’m gonna teach him how to throw a punch.”

“Don’t forget to keep your thumb outside your fist,” Ashton said helpfully as he got to his feet, helping his girlfriend up. Bryana smiled as she brushed her dress down before reaching to pick a strand of dried grass from Ashton’s curls.

“I hope I get to see you very soon,” Bryana told Michael, giving him a soft smile before she stooped to draw Calum into a hug. “You take care of yourself. Give us a call if you need dinner, okay? I know your cooking skills leave a lot to be desired.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Calum grinned but he pushed himself to his feet too, grabbing Luke’s extended hand and hauling the blond man up. “Go on now. You guys have a good time.”

Michael waved goodbye to them timidly but one of his arms was still wrapped tight around his tummy and his face fell when he saw Luke lean in close to mutter something in Calum’s ear. The dark-haired man’s cheeks flushed red but his expression was soft when he looked back over at Michael as his friends let themselves out of the house.

The seventeen year old was sitting forlornly on his own now, head bowed as he bit down hard on his bottom lip. Luke had probably teased him, made jokes about how he was just a stupid little kid. Calum probably agreed with him.

Michael swallowed past the lump in his throat when Calum came to a stop in front of him, bare feet sinking into the grass. Michael wasn’t wearing shoes either and his feet looked really soft when he frowned down at them. They looked like baby feet probably.

God, maybe Calum _would_ be better off with someone like Luke. He had broad shoulders and painfully pretty blue eyes, and he made Calum laugh.

‘ _You’re not my type, Hemmings. I prefer green eyes._ ’

“You look like a grumpy kitten,” Calum said and Michael shrugged as his expression became sulky, refusing to look up at the older man. It wasn’t the most inaccurate thing he’d ever been called but it didn’t exactly sound punk rock; Michael didn’t know if he should be offended or not.

“I have a kitten,” Michael said suddenly before he pulled a face. “Well, he’s really more of a cat now. He’s this little siamese one that hates everyone. He hisses at people.” Michael’s expression was softer as he drew his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. “His name’s Teddy.”

“Teddy sounds cute,” Calum said seriously but he reached down to poke Michael’s pouty lips lightly with his fingertip and the golden-haired boy briefly considered biting him, just because. “You still look like a kitten. Not one that hisses at people though, I don’t think.”

Michael hissed at Calum just because he could and, even as the dark-haired man let out a soft bark of laughter, Michael let his chin fall to settle on his knees. His cheeks flamed and he swallowed harder past the lump in his throat. Calum hesitated before he dropped back down onto the grass beside the younger boy, arm finding its way carefully around Michael’s shoulders.

Calum was warm and he smelt good - a mixture of smoke from the barbecue and his shower gel that smelt a little like lemons - and Michael let himself melt into it despite himself.

“Y’know… Luke just said something to me,” Calum said slowly and Michael tensed up.

“What?” he asked, looking up at Calum with wide emerald green eyes. The dark-haired man gave him a comforting squeeze.

“He said he thinks maybe you have a crush on me.” Calum’s smile was vaguely self-deprecating and Michael pulled a face.

“I don’t like Luke,” he decided. Calum snorted, free hand falling down to run over the short grass. The sky was rapidly darkening overhead now but Michael could see two gulls wheeling in the emptiness, calling to each other as the night approached.

“Oh please, _everyone_ likes Luke,” Calum grinned, dimples creasing his cheeks suddenly when he saw Michael fighting not to smile. “And I never said it wasn’t reciprocated.” Michael gawped at him wordlessly and Calum laughed. “You wanna try punching that punch bag now, Mikey?”

Michael mumbled something along the lines of: “Actually I’d much rather punch Luke instead” and it was worth it when Calum laughed, the sound so delighted that it made the younger boy’s heart pound unevenly in his chest.

“C’mon, grumpy kitten,” Calum grinned, rising and helping Michael up with an arm around his waist. “Do you remember what I showed you?”

It was dark in the garage until Calum flicked a switch and the light of a naked bulb overhead illuminated the space. To one side, there was a rack of weights and a standing punch bag, much like the ones boxers used to train with in the films Michael sometimes watched with his dad. On the other side of the room, there was a low sofa covered with blankets, a worn-looking rug and a TV with a crate of DVDs beside it. There was even a little fridge nearby that probably had beers in it, if the few empty ones on top of it were any indication.

“Sure. Don’t tuck my thumb inside, right?” Michael checked, showing Calum. The dark-haired man grinned when he saw Michael’s fist.

“That’s perfect! Okay, we won’t use the gloves the first time - but don’t do it too hard, okay? I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“Okay,” Michael said, coming to an awkward stop in front of the punch bag and shooting Calum a pleading look before he flung his arm out uneasily, his fist smacking uselessly against the hard material. “Ow,” Michael mumbled, shaking his wrist out. Calum frowned, stepping up behind him and reaching around to help Michael form a better fist.

“Like this,” Calum said softly, his breath warm on the back of Michael’s neck, making him shiver as he helped the golden-haired boy throw a proper punch. It was a lot more controlled but Michael barely noticed it. He was too focused on the warmth of Calum’s body soaking into his from behind and the way he could feel Calum’s smile pressed to his shoulder.

“There,” Calum said softly, hands moving hesitantly as he stepped away, taking his warmth with him. “I think you’ve got it now, Mike.”

“Thank you,” Michael said shakily. He smiled at Calum and the dark-haired man grinned back at him, gesturing towards the sofa hesitantly. It was lower than it looked when Michael dropped down onto it and he let out a shocked little squeak that seemed to make Calum’s heart melt as fondness bloomed on his face.

“Luke didn’t upset you today, did he?” Calum asked quietly as he sat down too, cross-legged as Michael drew his knees up to his chest again. “He kids around sometimes but he wouldn’t actually want to hurt your feelings… so if he upset you then please tell me so I can tell him to quit being an arsehole.”

“It’s fine,” Michael promised but his voice sounded faint and he was still worrying that Calum thought he looked fat… that he thought Michael was just a stupid little kid who should stop clinging to him. “It doesn’t even matter.”

“It does,” Calum said instantly, reaching out to pat Michael’s pale ankle gently because it was the only thing he could reach. “He’s just silly, right? I’ve known him since I was five years old and he’s ridiculous but… y’know, he’s one of my best friends... but he doesn’t mean what he was doing today. He’s just a tease.”

“It’s okay,” Michael said but he was biting his full bottom lip now, worrying it between his teeth before he glanced up at Calum cautiously. “I just felt… really young.” Michael shrugged half-heartedly, looking away as his brow creased with a frown. “I haven’t even kissed anyone yet,” Michael said with a humourless laugh. “I must seem like such a fucking baby… I’m just a little kid to you.”

“Not at all.” Calum sounded like he meant it but Michael didn’t want to look at him. He just pulled his knees tighter to his chest and blinked back what _definitely_ weren’t tears. “I haven’t kissed anyone and had it _mean_ anything,” Calum added with a slight shrug. “So I guess we’re in the same boat, huh?”

“Stop saying things like that,” Michael grumbled, hiding his relieved smile in his knees. “Stop being nice to me.”

“Can’t help it,” Calum said easily, settling back more comfortably on the sofa as Michael relaxed against him, curling up like a little cat. “You’re too cute. It just keeps happening.”

“ _Stop_ ,” Michael whined but he was burying his smile in the warm skin of Calum’s bare shoulder now and Michael liked feeling the muscles shifting against his full lips. It made him want to kiss Calum kind of… but he shouldn’t do that probably.

Michael had no clue _how_ to kiss someone. It would just be embarrassing.

“I don’t think you’re a little kid at all,” Calum said suddenly, apparently still dwelling on what the golden-haired boy had said. Michael looked up at him with interest, emerald green eyes glittering in the dim light. Calum shrugged, holding his gaze steadily. “I don’t think you’re a baby,” he said calmly.

Michael’s cheeks coloured and he suppressed his smile with difficulty.

“I’m very mature for my age,” Michael lied, thinking about the drawer of Tamagotchis he had at home and snorting with ridiculous laughter. “I even know how to make mac and cheese.”

“Mac and cheese, huh?” Calum teased, scooting forwards to press a tiny kiss to the corner of Michael’s mouth. The younger boy stiffened in shock but his whole face lit up and it made Calum giggle. “Mac and cheese is my favourite.”

“I’ll make you mac and cheese,” Michael said instantly, voice faint. His fingertips were trembling when they rose to brush his lips but Calum was kind enough to pretend that he hadn’t noticed. “I’m really good at making it.”

“Y’know what? I might actually take you up on that,” Calum said, dimples creasing his blushing cheeks. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he looked down but he was still smiling. “Bry wasn’t joking when she said I can’t cook. All I know how to make is stir-fry. I mean, it’s healthy but… I don’t know… There’s not much variety when you’re as lazy as I am.”

“ _You_? Lazy? As if!” Michael scoffed, rolling his eyes fondly. “You work out every single day!” The younger boy’s face fell suddenly and he remembered how he’d felt earlier as his hands slipped to cover his stomach. “I don’t work out _ever_. That’s why I’m all fat.”

Calum made a small hurt sound as his arm slipped around Michael’s shoulders again.

“You’re _soft_ ,” Calum said quietly, brushing his lips chastely against Michael’s overheated cheek. “It’s cute. _You’re_ cute.”

“Oh,” Michael breathed and his hand stopped shaking when he curled his fingers hesitantly around Calum’s jaw, tilting his head to press a gentle kiss to the older man’s full lips. Calum sighed contentedly as his long fingers threaded gently through Michael’s golden hair, stroking his scalp lightly. The younger boy was practically purring when Calum drew back with a drunk-looking smile tugging at his lips.

“You really are like a kitten,” he said softly before his cheeks suddenly coloured as he smiled, biting at his lip. “Y’know, I didn’t think this was going to happen.”

“Me neither,” Michael breathed but he was smiling so wide now.

“You _really_ don’t want to marry me, kitten?” Calum laughed, smile becoming teasing as he nudged Michael lightly in the ribs. The golden-haired boy groaned, burying his face in his hands.

“Shut up!” Michael grumbled, flushing the colour of a beetroot now. “I’m not marrying anyone! I’m seventeen! I’m just a kid!”

“I thought you _weren’t_ a kid,” Calum grinned, tilting Michael’s chin up gently with his fingertip to press a soft kiss to the younger boy’s mouth. Michael’s cheeks heated up again.

“I’m very indecisive,” the golden-haired boy joked as his hands slipped up to cover Calum’s bare shoulders. Michael’s head felt like it was spinning with how elated he felt now. “It’s getting to be a problem.”

Calum’s bark of laughter was loud in the garage as he pulled Michael into a hug.

Calum’s warmth kept the darkness at bay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Please let me know what you thought by leaving comments and kudos :)
> 
> I'm going to upload the next few parts soon!


	2. You're My Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm really loving writing this fic so I hope you guys will enjoy it!  
> Lots of plot keeps worming its way into the plan so I'm genuinely excited for you all to read it :)  
> Enjoy!

It was early morning - almost a whole month after that evening in the garage with Calum - and Michael was sitting in the kitchen with his parents. There was a jug of lavender on the table and the calming fragrance saturated the room as Michael spooned up his coco pops, chin propped up on his hand as he gazed at Calum dreamily out of the glass doors.

The dark-haired man was doing high knee lifts now, dark curls tumbling artfully across his sweaty forehead, chocolate brown eyes focused as he moved. Michael could just hear the older man’s light footfalls through the doors. Calum’s movement kept catching the younger boy’s sleepy emerald green eyes.

Calum would do sit-ups soon probably which unfortunately Michael wouldn’t be able to observe from this angle… Maybe that was a good thing though. He didn’t exactly want to get hard when he was sitting with his parents.

Calum glanced up suddenly, dimples creasing his cheeks as his eyes flashed to the younger boy’s face. Calum winked and Michael choked on his cereal.

Karen’s eyes were twinkling when she looked knowingly at her son but Daryl didn’t look particularly amused. He dropped his toast instead, scowling towards the garden. Calum looked away, cheeks flaming.

“I don’t like how much time you’re spending with him,” Daryl said coldly. Michael hunched his shoulders up, frown creasing his pale face as he spooned up his coco pops more quickly, spluttering when the milk went down the wrong way. Karen looked worried as Calum passed by again outside.

“Calum’s just Michael’s friend, honey,” Karen said, soft hand settling gently on her husband’s wrist. The fact that Michael didn’t know if that was a lie or not bothered him a lot. “They’re just friends. He’s been showing Michael how to defend himself.”

“Like boxing,” Michael whispered, voice slightly breathless as he let his spoon fall down into the mostly empty bowl. “Just like those movies you like.”

“Boxing, huh?” Daryl looked mollified but the smile he shot at his son kind of made Michael want to curl up and hide. He felt like he was lying to his dad, even though it was nothing but the truth.

Maybe Daryl would like his son more if he thought Michael was more like him.

A tiny sigh escaped the golden-haired boy as he finished his apple juice, trying to ignore how his hand was shaking slightly with stress. He met his mum’s eyes over the rim of his glass and her expression softened with sadness. She was the only person Michael had come out to so far. The seventeen year old probably _wouldn’t_ be telling his dad any time soon.

Calum glanced up towards the house as he straightened up, presumably heading towards the garage. The tightness of his expression faded when he saw Michael’s eyes twinkling at him from behind the lavender and Calum smiled crookedly as he ducked out of sight.

Michael’s cheeks heated and he bit his full bottom lip hard to suppress his smile.

As soon as he could escape, Michael would go round and see Calum later probably. Usually he just watched while the older man finished his weights, all the while hoping that maybe Calum would help him practise punching afterwards. That was Michael’s favourite part of the day: standing with his back pressed against the warmth of Calum’s usually-bare chest, the older man’s lips brushing against his neck and making him shiver as he righted Michael’s stance with his foot carefully spreading Michael’s legs, helping him balance.

(If it sometimes ended in awkward boners on Michael’s part, Calum didn’t have to know. That was the upside of him always standing _behind_ the younger boy.)

Michael always went home when it was time for Calum to shower though. It was almost like an unspoken rule now. Calum put the boxing gloves away, ruffled Michael’s golden hair and sometimes even dropped a kiss onto the top of his head, and then the younger boy went home and Calum continued with his day.

Michael wanted _more_ though.

He just didn’t know how to ask for it.

*

It was another clear sunny day. Michael was sweaty and slightly pissed off, stomping home from school with his jumper tied loosely around his waist and his golden hair sticking up messily from having PE last lesson.

Michael hated PE.

He always got picked last for sports and it usually didn’t bother him but some of the kids had laughed today when he was the only one left sitting on the sidelines during football, and it just felt shitty. Michael’s cheeks heated up just thinking about it and he was scowling down at the pavement so fiercely that he didn’t even see the runner approaching until it was too late.

They collided hard and the next thing Michael knew, he was seeing a vast expanse of blue sky, his elbow was aching where it had hit the pavement… and Calum’s worried face was swimming above his own.

“Ah shit,” Calum groaned, tearing his earphones out and shoving them into his pocket with his iPod before he reached for Michael. The golden-haired boy was _scarlet_ now, so damn embarrassed that he’d crashed into Calum like that. God, he was so _stupid_.

“Are you okay, Mikey?” the older man asked anxiously, large hands fluttering uselessly as he brushed Michael’s sweaty hair back and drifted down to his sore elbow. Michael groaned when he saw the tiniest bit of blood smeared there. His stomach turned and he looked away, biting his bottom lip hard. He hated blood.

“Ouch,” Michael breathed and the older man’s beautiful tanned face crumpled.

“God, I’m so sorry,” Calum whispered, looking floored. His arm slipped around Michael’s waist and the younger boy didn’t _quite_ have enough willpower to insist that he was fine to walk unassisted. Calum’s body - even as sweaty as he was - felt too good against his own. “Come back to my place, okay? I have plasters and stuff. I’m so sorry honestly. I feel terrible.”

“It’s fine, Cal,” Michael said reassuringly, cheeks only colouring at the familiarity of the nickname after he’d already spoken. Calum’s face was reddening and Michael looked away, biting back a smile when the dark-haired man squeezed his hip comfortingly. “Never had you pegged as a mother hen though.”

“Shut up,” Calum grinned but his expression softened anyway. “I must get it from my sister.”

Michael drew away from the dark-haired man unwillingly when they turned down their road and, almost like he knew what Michael was worrying about, Calum took a hesitant step away, putting a gap between them.

They needn’t have bothered.

“Your parents aren’t home?” Calum frowned, looking at the empty driveway. Michael rolled his eyes.

“I’m seventeen, Cal. Pretty sure I can make myself dinner.” Michael’s hand drifted to the pocket of his school trousers and he swore, shoulders slumping like his school bag was suddenly ten times heavier. “Except I forgot my door keys… and they’re not home ‘til seven.” Michael forced a smile he didn’t particularly feel to hopefully lessen Calum’s worry. “Maybe I won’t be having dinner after all.”

“Rubbish,” the older man said instantly, dark eyes soft. “I’ll make you something later. You can stay with me until they’re home. I’m not leaving you outside on your own.”

“This isn’t exactly a bad neighbourhood, Calum,” Michael pointed out mildly but he was definitely _not_ going to argue.

Calum was sweaty from his run and Michael was sweaty from PE but, while the older man looked jittery - like the adrenaline was maybe still coursing through him - Michael was just tired and grumpy. He felt _small_ wandering along next to the older man and Calum’s dimples creased his cheeks as he got his door keys out of his pocket.

“You look like a grumpy kitten again,” Calum teased as he opened the door, smiling just as widely as he had done that day when he’d invited the younger boy in for burgers. “Welcome back.”

*

Calum was in the shower.

Michael was trying not to think about it; trying not to imagine all of that uninterrupted tanned skin and the black ink of his tattoos swirling beneath the hot water as it steamed up the glass. For just a moment, Michael imagined a smaller pale hand smearing through the fog as Calum’s lips made their way steadily down the younger boy’s pale throat and - _Wow_ , okay, probably not a very good train of thought to follow right now.

Michael tried his best to distract himself instead, still standing awkwardly in the middle of Calum’s living room in his socks on the rug. There was a grey sofa pushed up against the wall with a low coffee table in front of it, directly opposite a flat screen TV that kind of made Michael salivate just a little bit.

There was a book shelf nearby too and that was where Michael looked now, keen to distract himself from the pounding of the water resonating through the ceiling. The novels on the shelf were dog-eared - mostly slim poetry books and autobiographies with the sort of gritty but ultimately uplifting endings that tended to make Michael feel like he should be doing more with his life.

There were books on music and art culture too, just to add a little more depth to the beautiful man washing upstairs. Michael let his fingertips trace over the covers before he became distracted by a collection of framed pictures sitting on the next shelf up, probably at Calum’s eye level.

Some of them showed the older man with the friends Michael had met at the barbecue - Ashton, Bryana and Luke - and, strangely, there were no pictures of Calum’s parents at all. There was another picture too though, smaller than the others and obviously older, and that was the one that held the golden-haired boy’s gaze.

Michael spotted the dark-haired man first, only he didn’t really look like a man in the picture. Calum might even have been younger than _Michael_ with his dimples creasing his cheeks and his sparkling eyes. There was a girl standing behind him, tanned arms wrapped around his shoulders as she pressed a kiss to his soft cheek, clearly giggling as the picture was taken. They shared the same features and Michael knew without a doubt that this had to be the sister Calum had mentioned earlier.

Michael touched the edge of the frame but he didn’t take the photo down. He couldn’t tear his gaze away though; it was just so odd, being privy to this part of Calum’s life that he’d never seen before. It meant a lot that Calum was trusting him with this.

“Her name’s Mali-Koa.” The older man’s soft voice came from the doorway and Michael jumped, looking up in surprise. He hadn’t heard Calum approaching and although he wasn’t exactly doing anything bad, he still felt his cheeks flushing red. He felt like he’d been snooping.

“Sorry, I was just looking,” Michael mumbled and Calum shook his head, that same gentle smile still playing across his lips. His dark curls were fluffy from his shower now and he was dressed only in a pair of loose grey shorts. He smelt like green apples too and Michael closed his eyes for a moment, gone for it.

He _loved_ green apples. It made him want to taste Calum’s skin.

“Is she older than you?” Michael asked, just because he didn’t want the silence to continue. Calum nodded as he walked closer, the warm skin of his muscular arm bumping against Michael’s as he looked at the picture too.

“Yeah. By four years,” Calum said but his chocolate brown eyes were still soft, shining with something that was almost melancholy. Michael dropped his hand to tangle their fingers together before he could think better of it and a tiny sigh escaped Calum as he tightened his grip.

“Do you miss her?” Michael asked. Somehow he could tell that Calum didn’t see her much anymore.

“More than you know,” the dark-haired man said softly, running a shaking hand through his hair ruefully. He looked sad and Michael pressed a gentle kiss to the older man’s broad shoulder before he could think better of it. Calum’s full lips twitched. “How’s your elbow doing, kitten? Stopped bleeding?”

“It was only a graze,” Michael said but he still let Calum fuss over him. He liked the attention. “Can I get a drink please, Cal? I finished my water after PE.”

Calum clapped a hand to his forehead, his expression becoming guilty. “I’m so sorry! Come on, let’s get you some juice,” the older man said, leading Michael gently towards the kitchen by the hand. It was nice in there, shiny and pleasantly clean. He had a fridge with two doors, both of them covered in postcards and magnets from what looked like a lot of travelling. There were concert tickets stuck there too, more photos of Calum arm in arm with his friends and sister.

Michael’s expression was soft as Calum opened the doors, rootling around inside and shivering as goosebumps broke out on his arms at the cool air.

“Do you _ever_ wear a shirt?” Michael teased when Calum emerged triumphantly with a bottle of apple juice. “Not that I’m complaining,” the younger boy amended and Calum actually _giggled_ as he held the drink up for inspection.

“Occasionally. How’s apple?”

“Perfect,” Michael smiled and Calum’s dimples creased his cheeks as the younger boy clambered up onto a stool at the breakfast bar. Calum joined him up there with two glasses but he disappeared for a moment, returning from upstairs with a plaid shirt thrown on over his shorts. He buttoned it up, smirking when Michael pouted at him. The golden-haired boy didn’t really mind though. It meant enough that Calum was letting him see this side of him. He was hardly going to complain.

“How does spaghetti sound?” the dark-haired man suggested, eyes crinkling happily when Michael smiled at him over the rim of his glass.

“Awesome,” the golden-haired boy grinned before he tilted his head to the side, looking for all the world like a curious kitten. “Although I thought you said you couldn’t cook?”

“I can’t,” Calum said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he blushed. “But I _can_ grate cheese and cook pasta. That’s about all I can manage as I’m lazy and bulking up… but it does the job.” Calum grinned. “Will that do, kitten?”

Michael blushed but he still nodded, hiding his smile behind his pale hands. “That’s perfect,” Michael said but what he _meant_ was “ **You’re** perfect.”

*

Calum was trying not to smile as he started to cook the spaghetti.

He’d tasked the younger boy with grating the cheese and he was watching Michael out of the corner of his eye, face crinkling when he saw the tiny smile curving Michael’s cherry-red lips, even as he frowned because: “I think this grater is broken, Cal.”

“You’re using the wrong side, kitten,” Calum grinned, eyes twinkling as a teasing smile tugged at his full lips. The younger boy blushed and Calum tried to pretend his heart wasn’t melting in his chest. “How about you set the table instead? I can do the cheese for you.”

“You’re my hero,” Michael said sarcastically, fluttering his beautiful golden eyelashes at Calum. God, the dark-haired man couldn’t get over how _long_ they were as they fanned out on the younger boy’s flushed cheeks. He looked like a Disney princess with them, honestly. It was actually a bit ridiculous.

“You’re so sassy,” Calum said and Michael smiled smugly as he got up to rummage through the kitchen drawers, searching for the cutlery. The older man wondered if Michael was _naturally_ this feisty as he marvelled at how the younger boy’s personality was so much bigger than he was. It didn’t take away from how damn cute he was though and Calum’s heart felt too big for his chest as he finished boiling the spaghetti.

Michael looked _little_ when the older man turned to carry their plates over, small pale hands resting on the table as he gave Calum one of his timid smiles that made his pretty emerald green eyes sparkle.

“Dinner is served,” Calum said in his approximation of a posh accent. He sounded kind of stupid but it made Michael giggle and the seventeen year old was humming ‘Be Our Guest’ when Calum set the plate down in front of him. “Cheese is in that bowl in the middle. Help yourself, kitten.”

Damnit, Calum needed to stop calling him that.

“Thank you,” Michael said, blushing furiously. ‘ _Huh, maybe he didn’t need to stop after all_.’ The golden-haired boy smiled shyly. “It looks great. Thank you, Cal.”

Calum ducked his head bashfully as he started on his own food, grateful that he’d left the radio playing quietly in the background so they didn’t have that awkward situation where they tried to make conversation with their mouths full.

Michael kept making contented little humming noises and his golden hair was still sticking up messily from school. Calum hoped his elbow felt better now. He hoped he felt safe here.

“This probably isn’t as good as your mac and cheese, right?” Calum teased and Michael blushed prettily, green eyes sparkling as he tried to suppress his smile.

“It comes close,” Michael said, biting the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing. “Very close.”

“I think you’re fibbing,” Calum decided, reaching out to poke Michael reprimandingly in the nose. When the younger boy kissed the tip of his finger instead, Calum choked on a bit of spaghetti and had to take a long drink of juice while Michael tried not to laugh at him.

He liked this a lot, having Michael here with him.

The bit that got Calum the most though was just how _domestic_ it felt having Michael sitting here eating dinner with him, feet brushing under the table as the sun slowly began to set outside while they finished their meal.

“I like your tattoos,” Michael said quietly as he set his cutlery down on his empty plate carefully. “But there was one that I couldn’t see properly,” he said, gesturing to Calum’s left arm where it was covered with the plaid material of his shirt. “What is it?”

Calum undid the top few buttons of his shirt - noticed Michael’s eyes darkening faintly as his tattooed collarbones were revealed - and eased it down so that he could see which tattoo Michael meant. The younger boy reached out hesitantly, brushing the flower tattooed onto the inside of Calum’s bicep.

“This is a flower from New Zealand,” the dark-haired man explained quietly, fingertips brushing the petals. “That’s where I’m from, see? I’m Maori.”

Michael nodded curiously, green eyes soft as they traced the design inked into Calum’s skin.

“It’s so pretty,” Michael murmured and Calum was struck again by how beautiful the younger boy was, with his wide sparkling eyes and his soft hair shining like burnished golden as it tumbled across the pearly skin of his forehead.

“You think so?” Calum asked but truthfully he was pleased. He liked seeing Michael’s face light up as he looked at Calum’s tattoos.

“Sure it is,” the younger boy breathed, his voice hesitant as his cheeks heated with blood. “I want a tattoo that pretty someday.”

Michael ducked his head and even the back of his neck was red now. Calum reached out without thinking, cradling Michael’s overheated cheek in his palm as the younger boy raised his head cautiously. He looked bashful and Calum bit his bottom lip worriedly.

“What’s wrong?” the dark-haired man breathed and Michael shrugged half-heartedly, face falling as he frowned down at the table.

“I want pink roses and sunflowers… daisies maybe…” Michael was almost scarlet now. “But… it’s weird that… that I want to be…” He faltered, cheeks flaming now. Calum’s hands fell to hold Michael’s and the younger boy dropped his head. His golden hair hid his expression from view and the older man threw caution to the wind.

“It’s not weird at all that you want to be pretty,” Calum said softly, praying that he hadn’t missed the mark. “You’re already gorgeous, Mikey. I can’t exactly get a _bigger_ crush on you, can I?”

Michael’s hands were trembling when he covered his mouth but his smile was evident as his damp green eyes crinkled.

“You really mean it?” he asked, voice little more than a murmur as he gazed at Calum like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You really don’t think it’s weird? Not… too feminine?”

“Of course not, kitten,” Calum promised and it kind of hurt that someone must have shot his ideas down before, for him to believe that he was being weird now. “There’s nothing wrong with being yourself.”

Michael’s lips tugged up into a weaker, more sincere smile and Calum laced their fingers together gently, raising Michael’s hand to brush his lips gently across the younger boy’s knuckles.

“And those tattoos sound beautiful,” Calum added, watching Michael glow with pride. “We could go and get them together one day… if you wanted to.”

“I’d really love that,” Michael said in a small voice, earlier worries forgotten in the face of Calum’s acceptance. “Has anyone ever told you what an amazing person you are, Cal?”

Calum’s dimples creased his cheeks as he smiled.

“Every day of my life,” he lied and Michael snorted, shoving him weakly in the shoulder.

“You talk so much shit,” the golden-haired boy said and Calum laughed, winking at him.

“But that’s why you like me.”

*

They went to sit together in the living room after they’d finished dinner, debating whether they should put a film on before they decided that the radio was a better option since they didn’t know what time Michael’s parents would get home.

Calum settled down on the sofa, the soft grey material of the cushions warm against his bare legs. His shorts were rucking up around his muscular thighs but it didn’t really matter because Michael had just flopped down beside him, soft and full of food as he smiled contentedly at the older man.

A Chase Atlantic song was playing softly into the room and the lighting was soft since Calum had opted to only turn on one of the lamps, leaving the overhead light off. Michael looked sleepy in his arms, stretching out like a little kitten before he snuggled back down again, nuzzling his face into Calum’s throat as the older man rubbed his shoulder gently.

“ _Tell me your name. I don't ever wanna let you down. No, I just wanna kiss your lips in the rain._ ”

Michael’s golden hair was fluffier than ever when he raised his head suddenly, frowning down at Calum like he’d just thought of something very important to tell him.

“What is it?” the dark-haired man wondered, a slight smile touching his lips at the vaguely disgruntled expression on the younger boy’s face.

“ _And know I'll pull you closer if you start to drown, drown, drown._ ”

Michael bit his cherry-red bottom lip, tilting his head to the side as he watched Calum.

“I didn’t do my maths homework and my teacher got mad at me,” he said and Calum pulled a face, hating the idea of anyone being mean to the boy lying in his arms.

“Why didn’t you do it?” he asked, wondering if he remembered enough maths from school so that he might be able to help. Inexplicably, Michael allowed a smile to grace his beautiful features.

“Oh, I was just distracted,” he said teasingly, green eyes flickering quickly down to Calum’s mouth and away again. Michael’s tongue darted out to wet his lips and Calum’s hand continued to rub the younger boy’s shoulder gently.

“ _Then my hand meets your thighs with that look in your eyes I can never forget._ ”

“What distracted you?” Calum asked, voice softer now… lower. Michael swallowed, eyelashes fanning out against his skin for a moment as his eyes fluttered shut. When they flickered open, Calum saw that they were _definitely_ darker now.

“ _Then it's back to my room. What a wonderful view, love, and that's when I said, no._ ”

Michael looked so pretty when he blushed. It made Calum’s heart pound unevenly in his ribcage, like it was trying to escape his chest. Michael made him weak.

“I was distracted on account of the fact that I kept thinking about kissing you.”

The words were surprisingly eloquent when it was taken into consideration quite how much the younger boy was blushing.

Calum’s chocolate brown eyes twinkled as he tipped his head to one side curiously.

“Oh really?” he teased, making Michael flush hotter.

“ _Roxanne, why you wanna leave me on my own now?_ ” The words were soft in the quiet and Michael was almost boneless against the older man as the song washed over him, melting like he felt _just_ as comfortable as Calum did. “ _Roxanne, I think we should go but I'm not sure enough._ ”

“Probably wasn’t as great as I remember,” Michael said but the lie was obvious by the way he was trying not to smirk. Calum grinned, teeth sinking into his full bottom lip. Michael’s eyes followed the movement as his shaking hands rose to tangle gently in Calum’s dark curls.

“Are you quite sure about that?” Calum asked innocently and Michael’s face lit up slowly, like sunlight burning through the fog.

“You should probably jog my memory,” Michael said, voice breathless as he looked at Calum pleadingly. The dark-haired man smiled as he cupped the younger boy’s jaw gently in his hand.

“I think we can do that for you,” he murmured.

“ _Roxanne, I'll drive us somewhere far away from out of town._ ”

Michael gasped when Calum’s full lips bumped gently against his own but his body was warm and pliant against the older man’s, his fingers tugging on the dark curls gently as Calum took Michael’s bottom lip between his own, sucking on it lightly.

Michael’s tiny moan seemed to startle him and his cheeks were red as his eyes fell shut, hands falling to fist the front of the dark-haired man’s plaid shirt. Calum’s eyes were shut too as he deepened the kiss with gentle little licks of his tongue, just testing the waters until the muffled sound that escaped Michael as he pulled him closer showed that he liked it.

“ _Now I'm falling deep within your eyes like cocaine._ ”

Michael shuddered in his arms when Calum’s tongue stroked hot over his own and it made warmth bubble in the dark-haired man’s stomach like butterflies. He hadn’t felt like this just from _kissing_ someone for years but there was something undeniably special about being this close to Michael.

Calum just couldn’t place his finger on what that might be.

“ _I'm hoping that you'll be there when I'm coming down, down, down._ ”

One of Michael’s small hands had risen to tangle too-hard in Calum’s hair in a way that the older man _loved_ and Michael was still gripping Calum’s shirt in his fist, twisting the fabric as he pulled Calum closer, until -

A button popped off and Michael broke away, lips swollen, expression vaguely mortified until Calum giggled into his neck, pressing a kiss there instead.

“I’m sorry for breaking your shirt,” Michael said and then he was laughing too, giggling helplessly as Calum cuddled him close, tucking the younger boy’s head safe beneath his chin as he dropped a kiss onto Michael’s forehead.

“I can probably forgive you if you kiss me like that again,” Calum said and Michael’s beautiful green eyes crinkled as he beamed.

“Let me see what I can do.”

When Michael’s full cherry-red lips brushed against the dark-haired man’s again, a happy sigh escaped Calum as he melted down onto the sofa beneath the younger boy’s soft hands.

Kissing Michael felt like coming home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Please let me know what you thought by leaving comments and kudos <3


	3. Boyfriends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about the wait but I wanted to make sure I got this fic right! I've been planning the rest of it out and I really hope you guys will enjoy it :)

Michael was seeing a lot more of Calum now. It felt almost like, once he’d been round there in the evening and had seen that new side of him, Calum wasn’t hiding anymore. The walls were coming down and Michael wanted to feel exposed or maybe even _vulnerable_ but he just didn’t. Not when Calum was cuddling him close as he coaxed the younger boy into a gentle kiss.

Michael was going to see Calum today actually. Daryl and Karen were driving to see some relatives Michael didn’t much like, and he’d managed to get out of the visit with an impressive combination of whining and pretending he was ill.

Michael felt quite smug as he padded through the empty house in his bare feet, content in the knowledge that his parents wouldn’t be home until after dinner that night. Michael was still going over to Calum’s house instead of inviting the older man here though; he wasn’t going to risk his parents finding out.

The sun was already shining high in the sky but Michael barely gave it a second thought as he locked his front door behind him, scrambling clumsily over the low stone wall separating his front garden from Calum’s and dancing forward to knock on the dark-haired man’s front door.

After a long pause, the door was pulled open and an exhausted-looking Calum stood blinking in the sudden sunlight. His dark curls were a fluffy flyaway mess around his soft face and his chocolate brown eyes looked tired. Michael tilted his head to the side curiously, a slight frown marring his expression.

“Are you okay?” the golden-haired boy asked softly. Calum managed a humourless smile, pushing the door open wider so Michael could walk in.

“Just c’mon in,” Calum sighed but his expression was soft enough when the younger boy hesitantly entered the house that Michael was _fairly_ certain it wasn’t him. Almost like Calum could tell what he was thinking, his eyes became gentler as he reached out to squeeze Michael’s shoulder gently. “It’s okay, kitten. I was just listening to some music. You want to come sit?”

“Okay,” Michael murmured but a tiny smile tugged at his cherry-red lips as he hooked his little finger around Calum’s, allowing himself to be led into the living room.

“ _But it’s all the same. I could have foreseen that you would act like you are._ ”

There was music playing, calming and rich but with an almost _urgent_ undertone that made Michael grip Calum’s hand tighter. The dark-haired man slumped down onto the sofa, bathed in golden sunlight as he tugged Michael down lightly into his arms.

“ _Oh, so cool you seem, blending with that scene, wearing what you think is hard._ ”

Calum was dressed in a soft grey t-shirt over skinny jeans and he still smelt fresh from the shower he took after his morning workout. Michael bit his bottom lip worriedly, propping his chin up with his elbow resting on the sofa cushion as Calum looked up at him sleepily.

“Cal, are you _sure_ you’re -”

“This song is Brain by Banks,” Calum said, cutting Michael off with a squared jaw that made the younger boy realise that maybe Calum didn’t want to talk about this right now. Michael settled down instead, cheek resting warmly on the older man’s chest as Calum rubbed comforting circles into Michael’s back as the sun warmed his skin. “It’s one of my favourites if I’m feeling stressed.”

“ _I can see you struggling. Boy, don’t hurt your brain, thinking what you’re gonna say ‘cause everything’s a game._ ”

Michael wanted to ask Calum what he was stressed about; wanted to kiss him until the tension leaked out of his shoulders and he told Michael what was the matter but the golden-haired boy wasn’t sure he was _allowed_.

“ _Always trying to calculate. Trying to look smart but not too smart to threaten anything they say._ ”

The song ended with a swell of music that was quickly cut off and the dark-haired man let out a tiny sigh as he reached for his phone where it was lying on the coffee table. He hit repeat and, as the song started again, Michael stretched to press a tiny kiss to the underside of the older man’s jaw, hoping to calm him.

This was another different side to Calum too and, privately, Michael wondered how many more there were to uncover.

The song played four more times before Calum finally stopped it but they stayed lying tangled there together anyway, Calum’s fingers tracing idle patterns into the pale skin of the younger boy’s back as his hands slipped beneath Michael’s top.

“This is a pretty colour,” Calum said, his voice low as he stroked his fingertips over the soft pink t-shirt Michael had risked wearing under his grey and black flannel. He’d found it screwed up in the back of his wardrobe and, although he couldn’t be sure, he was _fairly_ certain he’d stolen it from the lost property box at school.

“Thanks,” Michael breathed but his cheeks were flaming as he glanced up at Calum with his wide green eyes, self-conscious now as he wriggled up into an awkward sitting position. “You… you don’t think it’s a bit... _m-much_?” His voice cracked and Calum’s dark eyes softened to melted chocolate as he pushed himself up too.

“I think you look really lovely, kitten,” the older man said softly, opening his arms and huffing out an amused breath when he ended up with a lapful of Michael. The golden-haired boy cuddled him close, tucking his blushing face away into Calum’s neck as the older man hugged him back.

“Will you _please_ tell me what’s wrong?” Michael whispered and Calum went still beneath him.

There was a moment of silence - stretching on just long enough that Michael began to panic - before Calum gave an uneasy shrug, leaning back against the cushions so that he could see Michael properly.

“I just…” Calum’s voice trailed away awkwardly but he relaxed visibly when Michael didn’t press him to speak; he just watched with his wide green eyes as he worried his bottom lip between his teeth. Calum freed it gently with his thumb and the younger boy’s cheeks heated. “My parents called me last night and I ended up pacing around my living room ‘til like two in the morning. That’s all, Mikey.”

Michael frowned, ducking his head for a moment as he thought about that. He didn’t really know anything about Calum’s parents; just that Calum had no pictures of them up and that he’d definitely never mentioned them before. Michael fiddled with the leather bracelets he was wearing, faintly anxious now.

“It just upset me a bit,” Calum said quietly when the silence stretched between them. He refused to let his gaze settle on Michael and the golden-haired boy was starting to feel a bit awkward now because he was still sitting in Calum’s lap; the dark-haired man didn’t seem to mind though so Michael let the shapes Calum was stroking into his skin calm him.

“Why did it upset you?” Michael asked softly but his green eyes found the photo of Calum and his older sister Mali-Koa, and, when Michael looked back down again, he found that Calum was gazing at the picture too.

“My parents don’t like me being gay,” Calum said – bluntly in Michael’s opinion – and the older man suddenly looked so much more exhausted, like the conversation with his parents had aged him. Calum still looked sleepy but he seemed sad now too and Michael couldn’t help himself when he wrapped his arms gently around the older man’s broad shoulders, pulling at him weakly until they were both lying down face-to-face.

“I’m sorry it made you sad,” Michael murmured, pressing a tiny kiss to Calum’s soft nose and smiling weakly when it made the dark-haired man blush. “I’m sorry they don’t accept you.” Michael bit his lip suddenly, fighting against the lump rising in his throat. “My dad would be the same too I think… if I told him.”

Calum’s face crumpled as he pulled the smaller boy to his chest, his full lips brushing Michael’s golden hair as he dropped kisses there. Michael cuddled Calum tighter.

“Do you want me to make you macaroni cheese, Cal?” the younger boy asked. His voice came out muffled where his mouth was pressed to Calum’s chest and, when the dark-haired man giggled, Michael felt it through his skin.

“That sounds amazing, kitten,” Calum said sincerely. Michael felt his breath catch in his chest when he looked up, catching the fondness saturating Calum’s beautiful face.

His chocolate brown eyes were crinkling and his dimples were creasing his cheeks, and when Michael stretched up to press a clumsy kiss to the older man’s full lips, it felt like all of the puzzle pieces were beginning to fall into place.

*

Watching Michael cooking them lunch in his kitchen made Calum forget how stressed he was feeling.

Michael hummed while he was adding the cheese and he had to stand on tiptoes to check that the pasta was boiling sufficiently because the saucepan was almost too high for him. It was painfully cute and Calum could feel a stupid smile spreading across his face as he watched the golden-haired boy work.

Michael had shucked his flannel shirt off before he’d started cooking so he was just standing there in his tight fitting pink t-shirt and skinny jeans now, feet bare and golden hair rumpled, and the whole scene looked so domestic that Calum was pretty sure his heart was melting in his chest.

“You’re so cute,” the dark-haired man said and Michael shot him a smile over his narrow shoulder, cheeks clearly flushed pink. Calum tried to hide what he was doing on the table behind the fruit bowl but the younger boy’s expression became curious as he left the pasta for a moment, drifting closer.

“What’re you doing, Cal?” he asked and Calum’s cheeks heated as he hid the thin strips of leather he’d just finished plaiting under his hands. Michael arched an eyebrow, looking down at Calum with fondness saturating his face.

“What about the pasta?” Calum asked meekly and Michael rolled his eyes, smirking slightly as he pushed the fruit bowl aside.

“The pasta’s fine, Cal,” Michael said dismissively. “But thank you very much for your concern.” The golden-haired boy hesitated, watching Calum hopefully. “Will you _please_ tell me what you’re doing?”

“I was…” Calum’s soft cheeks were red again and Michael was watching him with gentle sparkling eyes, like seeing Calum insecure was something strange that didn’t fit into his idea of the older man. Calum wondered if he should be flattered. “I was just making you something… but I didn’t want you to see it ‘til it’s done.”

“What’re you talking about, Cally?” Michael’s cheeks flamed at the nickname but Calum felt his expression softening as the golden-haired boy bit his bottom lip nervously.

“I made you a bracelet, kitten,” Calum said quietly, moving one of his hands to reveal the plaited strips of pink and white leather. He’d picked the material up from a craft shop he’d found in town during his lunch break the day before, certain they were perfect for the younger boy. “I noticed you wear a lot of bracelets so I figured maybe I could give you one too,” Calum offered. “And these colours were really nice so I figured… maybe it would make you feel pretty. I mean, you’re already pretty but –”

A tiny sound tore out of the younger boy and, before Calum had time to do much more than blush scarlet, he suddenly had a lapful of Michael.

The golden-haired boy was clinging to him, pale arms wrapped tightly around Calum’s shoulders as he tucked his face away into the older man’s neck. Calum couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he rocked Michael gently. The golden-haired boy felt like everything he’d ever needed.

“So… do you like it?” Calum asked softly and Michael pulled back, his green eyes shining so bright that Calum felt like he was looking into the sun. Michael pressed a firm kiss to Calum’s full lips and the dark-haired man’s eyes fluttered shut of their own accord.

“I love it, Cally,” Michael promised as he cupped Calum’s face gently in his small hands, pressing a longer kiss to his lips. “I love it so much.”

Calum’s hands slipped beneath Michael’s t-shirt to stroke the warm skin of his back and Michael sighed as his fingers tangled in the older man’s dark curls. Calum’s teeth grazed Michael’s bottom lip and, when the younger boy gasped at the sensation, Calum licked into his mouth, swallowing the younger boy’s muffled whine without comment.

Calum kissed Michael until they were both breathless, until he could feel the younger boy’s heart racing too fast in his chest beneath his tight pink t-shirt.

“Wow,” Michael mumbled, cherry-red lips swollen and hair in disarray. He smiled at Calum dopily and the older man felt like he was in free fall. “That was… _wow_.”

The younger boy grinned and Calum rolled his chocolate brown eyes fondly, cupping Michael’s cheek in his palm.

“I –” Calum faltered, nose wrinkling slightly. “Can you smell burning?”

Michael’s eyes widened and he lurched to his feet, almost hurtling straight into the fridge before he caught his balance. He looked incredibly relieved when he peered into the saucepan and Calum rolled his eyes fondly as he got to his feet too, retrieving some plates and cutlery.

“Is the macaroni cheese well-done?” Calum asked innocently and Michael gave him a half-hearted glare, clearly trying not to smile.

“At least I can _make_ macaroni cheese,” Michael countered teasingly and Calum pretended to be offended as he leant past the younger boy to get some glasses out of the cupboard. He dropped a kiss onto Michael’s cheek unthinkingly and the younger boy blushed.

When they sat down to eat their lunch a few minutes later, it was slightly burnt.

Neither of them really minded.

*

The pair of them went to sit out in Calum’s garden after lunch.

The sun was shining high in the blue sky and Michael was pouting slightly because Calum had insisted on covering the younger boy’s exposed skin in sun cream before he’d let him outside.

“I live in Australia, Cal,” Michael said grumpily as he flopped down onto the grass beside the dark-haired man. “I think I’m used to a bit of sun.”

“No point getting burnt though,” Calum said, rolling over onto his side and propping his head up with his elbow as he looked down at the younger boy. Michael’s cheeks were faintly pink and he shivered when Calum trailed his fingertips down his arm.

“It’s such a nice day,” Michael said contentedly, wriggling a little bit closer despite how hot it was as the grass stuck to his skin. “Weather like this always makes me want to go to the zoo.”

“You like the zoo?” Calum asked, chocolate brown eyes twinkling. He could hear a bumblebee buzzing somewhere nearby as the strands of grass fluttered in a light breeze. Calum would need to mow the lawn again soon. Deciding to ignore it for now, the older man slumped down onto his back beside Michael, gazing up at the clear blue sky.

“I love it,” Michael said happily, his expression excited as a huge smile lit up his face. “I love the tigers and the reptiles and the tapirs. Last time I went to the zoo it was even hotter than it is today and I got one of those lemonade ice lollies that made my hand all sticky, and I persuaded mum to buy me this toy lemur when we were leaving and it was just the greatest day ever.” Michael sighed dreamily, tucking one hand behind his head so that his pink t-shirt got rucked up around his soft tummy. Calum settled his hand comfortingly over the younger boy’s hip. “I love days out with mum. I know it’s childish.”

“Don’t be silly,” Calum chided gently. “Appreciate spending time with your mum, Mikey.” Calum managed to swallow the: ‘ _You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone_ ’ but he thought the younger boy could see it in his eyes because Michael sobered slightly.

Calum leant forwards to kiss him. He wanted the smile back on Michael’s face and, when they finally broke apart, Calum was relieved to be rewarded by it.

“I really want to take you to the zoo one day,” the older man said and Michael beamed, surging forwards to press another soft kiss to Calum’s lips. “I bet you’re so adorable when you’re excited.”

“I just rush around everywhere and trip over my own feet a lot,” Michael pointed out but he was still smiling. “ _Adorable_ probably isn’t the right word.”

“I think we’ll have to agree to disagree there, kitten,” Calum smiled, dimples creasing his cheeks. “Although I promise I’m not going to let you trip over anything in my presence. I don’t want you to get hurt. I still feel terrible about your elbow.”

“Cal, that was _weeks_ ago… and it was only a graze,” Michael pointed out but his emerald green eyes were so soft. “You’re really special, you know that?”

“Special like an insult?” Calum asked sheepishly, barking out a laugh when Michael shoved him.

“You know what I mean.” The golden-haired boy smiled but he looked away, gaze settling on his new bracelet instead. “It’s so pretty,” Michael said softly, eyes sparkling as stroked the plait with his fingertip. “Thank you so much.”

“It’s the least I can do for someone as lovely as you,” Calum said and Michael whined, rolling over onto his stomach and burying his grin in the crook of his arm as his cheeks heated.

“Stop making me blush,” Michael complained weakly and Calum grinned, rolling over too so that he could put his arm around the younger boy’s waist. Michael seemed to almost _melt_ when Calum pressed a soft kiss to his shoulder.

“I can’t help it, kitten,” Calum teased, winking when Michael risked looking up at him. “You’re easy.”

“Rude,” Michael scoffed but his emerald green eyes were glittering as he coaxed Calum into a gentle kiss, his small hands trembling slightly as he stroked Calum’s tanned, sun-warmed skin. “Do you _ever_ wear a shirt?” Michael asked, and Calum laughed softly because he’d shed his grey t-shirt somewhere between the kitchen and the back door.

“Not if I can help it,” Calum said. “I find it liberating.”

“I bet you were one of those kids who just ran around naked, right?” Michael teased and Calum chuckled, cheeks reddening again as he pressed another kiss to Michael’s shoulder.

“That may be correct but you have no way of proving it,” the dark-haired man said, trying not to smile. “Ah, who am I kidding? I was always naked. It was probably very traumatising for the neighbours. Whenever we went to my nan’s as a kid, she always used to fill the paddling pool up and I’d pretty much just run around the garden naked the whole day, playing with this stupid beach ball she had.”

“And you were… what? Seventeen?” Michael teased. Calum pretended to look offended, tickling Michael’s ribs so that he squirmed and giggled.

“I was _four_ actually, thank you _very_ much,” Calum said but his eyes were sparkling and his voice was thick with suppressed laughter. Michael looked up just in time to see Calum’s face fall a little. “I miss my nan.”

“Oh.” Michael looked downcast, turning his head so that he could see Calum properly where the older man was still draped over him. “Is she…?” His voice trailed away delicately and Calum nodded morosely.

“Yeah. She passed away last year.”

“I’m so sorry, Cal,” Michael whispered, green eyes wet now at the poorly-suppressed pain he could see on Calum’s face. “What was she like? If you want to talk about her obviously…”

“Well… she looked a lot like me,” Calum said slowly, thinking hard. “She had my eyes.” Michael smiled gently, fingertips brushing the crinkles that appeared beside Calum’s eyes when his lips curved upwards. “She was so lovely honestly. She accepted me when my parents didn’t, y’know? And she always used to make jokes about when she died, right? Which is morbid as hell now that I think about it but she said she wanted me to use the money she left to move out… to actually make something of myself, y’know?”

“She sounds like a character,” Michael said before he grimaced at himself because that was the sort of thing his _mum_ said. Calum rolled his eyes fondly and Michael’s smile softened as he relaxed. “It sounds like she loved you a lot.”

“She did,” Calum said as he cuddled Michael closer. “Definitely more than I deserved.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” the golden-haired boy said quietly. “You’re amazing, Cal.”

Calum looked bashful as he ducked his head, dark curls falling across his forehead as he brushed his lips absently over the back of Michael’s neck.

“Do you miss her?” the golden-haired boy asked softly before he frowned, clearly berating himself for asking. Calum’s smile was soft as brushed Michael’s soft hair back gently.

“Every day,” Calum said. “I love her more than anyone almost… after maybe Mali." Calum's expression brightened faintly. "I’m seeing my sister tomorrow actually… her and her boyfriend Tom. Haven’t seen them in months… not since I left my parents…” Calum’s voice trailed away but he still looked thoughtful and Michael had a feeling he was dwelling on his grandmother.

“Did you love your nan more than your parents?” Michael asked with wide eyes. He didn’t seem to be able to help it though; Calum knew how much Michael loved his mum and he was pretty sure the younger boy felt the same way about his dad too – otherwise the fact that they didn’t get on so well wouldn’t upset him so much.

“Definitely,” Calum said. Michael’s golden hair was starting to stick to his forehead with sweat now and the older man’s expression softened as he gave Michael’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “You want to go inside now and have a drink, Mikey?”

“Can I have lemonade? Like that day at the zoo?” Michael asked hopefully and Calum smiled, kissing the younger boy gently on the nose.

“Of course you can, kitten.”

*

Karen texted Michael at half past three to let them know that they wouldn’t be home until at least ten that night and, once again, Michael silently congratulated himself on managing to stay at home.

Calum turned the lamps on in his living room when the sun began to set and Michael was snuggled up on the sofa with the older man now, wearing his black and grey flannel over his pink t-shirt as his cheek rested on Calum’s chest. The dark-haired man was lying beneath him, stretched out on the cushions as he stroked the bare skin of Michael’s back beneath his clothes.

Calum’s full lips were soft against Michael’s and they parted when Michael’s fingers twisted in the older man’s dark curls. Calum was wearing his t-shirt again – unfortunately – and one of his denim-clad thighs had slipped between Michael’s, making the golden-haired boy’s breath tear out of him in a gasp.

This was the closest to _touching_ that Michael had ever experienced and it was making heat pool in his stomach as Calum deepened the kiss. His palms were warm on Michael’s back and a little humming sound escaped the older man when he felt Michael’s tongue stroking hesitantly over his own.

When Calum drew back to catch his breath, Michael shuddered at how blown his pupils were. He was pretty sure he had to look a lot worse though. His lips were swollen and he was half-hard which might have been embarrassing if Calum hadn’t been polite enough not to comment on it.

“Aren’t we supposed to… like…?” Michael made a crude grabbing gesture with his hand and Calum snorted before he could stop himself, darkened eyes twinkling with amusement and fondness.

“You watch a lot of porn, don’t you?” Calum teased but he looked almost sympathetic. The younger boy huffed, shoving him lightly in the shoulder.

“Well so do you!” Michael said defensively, cheeks flaming. “I’ve seen you through your window!” He spoke without thinking and immediately clapped his hands over his mouth but it was too late; the damage was done and Michael’s embarrassment was going to send him into an early grave.

“What? How?” the dark-haired man asked and, if Michael hadn’t been looking at Calum’s face, he would’ve been sure the older man was embarrassed. Instead, Michael saw Calum’s lips twitching like he was fighting not to smile.

“Don’t laugh at me!” Michael complained grumpily, cheeks burning so hot that he felt like he was about to burst into flames. “I… I had to go put the bins out down the back alley and when I was coming back up the garden I saw you in your living room and… Stop smirking!”

Calum pressed his lips together hard but his smile was impossible to hide and Michael pouted at him. Calum’s eyes were twinkling now but he was giving Michael this _look_ , like he was trying to tell him something without words.

Michael’s jaw dropped audibly.

“Oh my god!” the younger boy gasped accusingly and Calum giggled into his neck. “Oh my god, Cal! You wanted me to see!”

“No I didn’t!” Calum insisted but he was blushing and his lips were still curved upwards. Michael felt like he was drunk as a bubble of laughter escaped him.

“Yes, you did!” the younger boy declared, jubilant now. “You did want me to! You did it on purpose –”

Calum kissed Michael to get him to shut up, lips trailing across the sensitive skin of the younger boy’s neck as he stroked Michael’s golden hair gently. Calum grazed his teeth lightly over the younger boy’s earlobe and Michael whimpered, cherry-red lips falling open around a gasp as Calum shifted just enough that his thigh rubbed harder against Michael and –

 _Wow_ , okay, Michael was hard now. Properly hard.

He was probably about to die of embarrassment.

Michael’s cheeks flamed red again, the flush spreading all the way down his throat. Calum’s dark eyes softened as he nudged Michael gently onto the sofa beside him and the golden-haired boy hung his head when Calum sat up too.

“You okay, Mikey?” he asked softly but Michael’s hands had fallen into his lap and he was biting his lip hard. For once, Calum let him.

“Y-yeah,” Michael whispered but his voice cracked. “Um… I might go home… have a shower…” Calum bit his lip at that - like he was picturing it maybe - and Michael tried to ignore the little shiver of heat unfurling inside him. “Um… see you tomorrow I guess…?”

“Once Mali and Tom have gone home,” Calum suggested but his hands were shaking slightly as he cradled Michael’s overheated face gently between his palms.

“Are you _really_ okay, Mikey? Because if I ever do something that upsets you, I need you to tell me.” Calum’s lovely eyes were wide and earnest, and Michael had to swallow past the lump in his throat. “I just want to make sure you’re safe. You deserve to be _happy_ , kitten.”

“I promise I’d tell you, Cal,” Michael said but his voice was faint. Calum was watching him with concern and Michael’s lips tugged up into a weak smile. The uncertainty on his pale face vanished when Calum leant forwards very deliberately to press a gentle kiss to the younger boy’s cheek.

“Then what is it, Mikey? What’s wrong?” Calum murmured, leaving their foreheads resting together as Calum reached down to take Michael’s hands from his lap, tangling their fingers gently. “Please tell me. I want to help you.”

“It’s just…” Michael closed his eyes and Calum sighed quietly when he saw that the younger boy’s eyelashes were spiky with tears. “What _are_ we, Cal?” Michael’s voice was wet and his face was drawn, his muscles tense like he was expecting rejection. “ _Boyfriends_?”

His voice cracked and Calum was so relieved that he let the word hang in the silence for a moment, golden and perfect.

“Would you like that?” Calum asked once he’d found his voice again. Michael slumped down against him in relief, apparently deeply relieved that the older man hadn’t pushed him away in disgust.

“Yes,” Michael whispered and Calum relaxed, pulling Michael gently into his lap as he pressed a soft kiss to the younger boy’s forehead.

“I’d like that too,” Calum whispered and Michael whimpered, lips finding Calum’s in a messy kiss as the dark-haired man rubbed his back soothingly. “I’d like that a lot.”

Michael was still kissing Calum when his parents' car swung into the driveway, the headlights shining through the curtains startling them apart.

Then the pair of them ran out into the garden and Calum gave Michael a boost over the fence, and the younger boy let himself in through the back door, fastening his shirt as he did so. The younger boy was grinning wide in the darkness, skin pearly in the moonlight.

Calum stood out there in the garden for a long time and it was only when he let himself back inside afterwards that he realised how happy he felt.

The smile on his face refused to fade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Please let me know what you thought <3


	4. Never Better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm sorry for the wait but hopefully this is okay!  
> I found it kind of hard to write but fingers crossed it worked out :)  
> Enjoy!

No matter how hard he tried, Michael couldn’t stop thinking about the previous evening with Calum. (Not that it was really an issue but he kept getting awkward boners and he could really do without that.)

Michael couldn't help it though; couldn't help remembering the warmth of Calum's well-muscled thigh slipping between his own; the heat pooling like molten lava in Michael's stomach as lust rippled through him.

He had to jerk off in the shower before he could go downstairs for breakfast and it was almost midday by the time he was finally dressed. The house was quiet since Daryl had gone into town to pick up some shopping but Karen was still there, kneeling down in the back garden as she pruned some flowers.

Michael grabbed a carton of orange juice and a chocolate-chip cereal bar from the fridge before he slid the back door open, blinking in the sunlight. Karen looked up at the sound of the door, smiling warmly at her son when he dropped down into one of the metal chairs on the patio.

It was a hot, sunny day without a cloud in the clear blue sky and Michael admired it briefly before shoving half of his cereal bar into his mouth in one go.

“Did you have a nice time with Calum last night?” Karen asked shrewdly and Michael spluttered on his breakfast – or would it count as brunch if he was eating it at this time of day? No, probably not; cereal bars for brunch sounded stupid.

Michael felt his cheeks staining red as he glowered at her, taking a long sip of orange juice to buy himself some time.

“What are you talking about?” he said at last, pausing to cram the rest of his cereal bar into his mouth. The rest of his words came out garbled. “I felt sick.”

“Tell that to the cereal bar you just inhaled,” Karen pointed out, failing to suppress her smile. Michael pouted at her, trying to pretend that he _wasn’t_ blushing as he silently cursed the fact that she knew him so well.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” he asked eventually and she smiled at him as she straightened up, brushing the dried dirt from her jeans.

“Very much so,” she said, eyes twinkling as she watched her only son carefully. Michael dropped his head but he was smirking a little bit, even as his expression softened when his eyes settled on the pink and white leather bracelet encircling his wrist. Michael stroked it gently with his fingertip.

“That’s very pretty,” Karen said quietly, her voice almost knowing. When Michael looked up, she was watching him fondly.

“Yeah, it is,” he smiled, blushing. “Cal made it for me.”

Karen turned back to her flowers but, by the curve of her cheek, Michael could tell his mum was smiling widely.

“Are you going to see Calum today?” Karen wondered as she scooped her gardening gloves up from the ground. She dropped them onto the table in front of Michael before sitting down too and he eyed them warily, making sure that no spiders or bugs were about to crawl out before he finally answered the question.

“Maybe later. I don’t know yet.” Michael shrugged, flinching dramatically when he felt something brush against his leg under the table. Looking down though, it was just Teddy watching him with his large, unblinking amber eyes. “Cal’s sister and her boyfriend are visiting today so he’s kind of busy.”

“Oh.” Karen patted Michael’s wrist gently when she noticed that he looked vaguely downcast but her eyes were curious. “I didn’t know he had a sister. I’ve never seen her around.”

“Yeah, well she doesn’t come round much. Aside from her, Cal doesn't get on with the rest of his family much.” Michael hesitated, biting his bottom lip cautiously as he glanced up at his mum, golden hair falling down across his sweaty forehead and sticking to his skin. “His parents aren’t… Well, they’re not like you, mum.”

Karen looked upset but not wholly surprised and Michael slumped down in his seat, hunching his shoulders up defensively as he frowned down at the table. The conversation was making him think of his father and all the lies Michael had told him, and the golden-haired boy could feel his mum watching him with concern clear on her face. Michael spoke next without meaning to.

“Calum’s my boyfriend.”

The words were small and shy but there was an undeniable undercurrent of happiness to them, and Karen was smiling when Michael finally dragged his eyes timidly up to her face.

“I’m very pleased for you both,” she said sincerely, her full lips tugging up into a smile. “Calum's a nice boy. I trust him to look after you.” Michael blushed prettily and Karen adopted the sort of expression that her son often wore when he was trying not to laugh. “Would you be upset if I told you I’d guessed this was going to happen from the very moment he moved in?”

Michael considered this before shaking his head, a slow smile spreading across his face.

“No, not really,” the seventeen year old said with a half-hearted shrug. “I’m not exactly known for my subtlety. Quite frankly, I’m surprised dad hasn’t worked it out yet.”

Karen’s face fell slightly but she still looked happy for her son.

“Yes, well your father has always been good at only seeing what he wants to see.” She gave Michael’s hand a gentle squeeze, her eyes soft. “As long as you’re happy and safe with Calum, that’s all I care about,” she said firmly. “We can worry about telling your father later.”

Michael nodded but his teeth were worrying his bottom lip and he couldn’t quite keep the anxiety from his face. Karen moved round the table to pull her son into a hug, her fingers carding gently through his golden hair as she kissed his forehead.

“Everything’s going to work out, baby bear,” she said softly. “Just wait and see.”

*

Michael stayed in the garden even after his mum had gone back inside, trailing a piece of string through the short grass for Teddy to chase as he heaved a deep sigh, already bored without Calum.

The dark-haired man hadn’t worked out in the garden that morning so the first time Michael saw Calum that day was when the older man led his visitors outside after lunch. Michael stayed sitting down under the eucalyptus tree but his expression became fond when he saw the tanned man’s proud face as he showed his sister Mali and her boyfriend Tom his garden.

The three of them talked quietly and, for a while, Michael let his thoughts wander again; remembering the feeling of Calum’s warm lips against his own and the soft, gentle timbre of Calum's voice as he reassured Michael that he’d like it if they were boyfriends too.

Calum was speaking again now but he didn’t _sound_ soft and gentle. He sounded more tired than he had done the day before actually, like maybe _he_ hadn’t been able to sleep last night either. Calum sounded _tense_ and Michael listened in worried silence for just a moment too long, muttering a curse when Teddy leapt forwards to tug the string right out of Michael’s soft hand with his claws.

The seventeen year old could hear Mali talking too although her boyfriend seemed quiet and - much to Michael's concern - it wasn’t long before the two siblings started arguing.

“– and I’m just saying that maybe you could visit! Show them you’re still the same person you were before!” Mali said hotly as Michael hid behind his fence with Teddy, kind of praying that the ground would swallow him up. “I’m not saying you should come and live back home, Cal, because I wouldn’t want to do that either if I were you!”

“Then why won’t you just drop it?!” Calum demanded, his voice tight with pain. “Nothing’s going to change so just stop saying it!”

“But I'm worried about you! You’re upset!” Mali argued. “Why just accept that you’re never going to talk to them again? They’ll understand eventually, Cal! They’ll live with it because you’re their son and they love you! Stop being so damn stupid and –”

“Guys,” Tom said weakly, voice meek. “Guys, stop fighting.”

Michael agreed wholeheartedly with Tom.

“You just don’t get it, Mali,” Calum continued like Tom hadn’t even spoken. His voice was softer now, more exhausted. “You’ve always been their favourite and this isn’t even a criticism, okay? It’s just the way things are.”

“Cal, please don’t say that. It’s not true,” Mali said, her voice weak and uncertain. “Mum and dad love you, okay? And they have to miss you or they wouldn’t even be calling you anymore…” Her voice trailed away for a moment but she sounded a little calmer when she spoke next. “Just think about it, Cal… okay?”

“Okay,” the younger man said hesitantly. There was a rustle of clothing – Michael hoped they were hugging – and then Tom cleared his throat awkwardly, rising from where he’d been lounging in the grass.

“Mali, if we want to catch the train then we’re going to need to leave soon,” he said tentatively. “Unless you want to get the one after?”

“No, we can’t be late for Gemma’s party…” Mali sounded like she was biting her lip as she and Calum got to their feet too. “Cal, will you be okay on your own? What else have you got planned for today?”

For the first time, Michael detected a tiny smile in Calum’s still-strained voice.

“I won’t be on my own. Mikey’s meant to be coming round later,” the dark-haired man said. “And besides, you don’t have to worry about me. You should get going – and make sure you both have fun, okay, Tom?”

“Got it, Cal,” the older man said, clapping Calum on the shoulder. “Take care of yourself, buddy.”

“I’ll see you at your football game next month,” Mali said, pulling her younger brother into another hug. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Mali,” Calum said quietly. “Now go before you miss your train.”

“Sure,” she said. “You have fun with Michael, okay?”

She smiled at the younger boy over the fence as she and Tom were led back inside by Calum, and Michael went so red at being caught that he closely resembled a fire engine.

Teddy tried to steal the string from Michael’s hand again.

This time he used his teeth.

*

Calum – who had rid himself of his shirt somewhere in the house – appeared in the garden again once his sister and her boyfriend had gone, his expression troubled as he paced across the short grass that he and Michael had lay kissing on only the day before.

Calum had looked happy then, for the most part anyway, but that tiredness was back on his face again now – Michael could see it when he straightened up hesitantly from where he’d been sitting – and Calum’s face was flushed with anger as he scowled down at the grass he was stamping over.

Michael didn’t like being separated from Calum by a fence again; it felt like it had before, back before they were boyfriends.

Calum froze when he saw Michael watching him, small pale fingers curled over the top of the fence as he watched the older man with wary, wide green eyes. Calum’s cheeks burnt hotter but Michael’s expression was so earnest that the dark-haired man couldn’t quite find it in himself to be defensive.

“Have you been there this whole time?” he asked instead and Michael’s face crumpled.

“I accidentally kind of eavesdropped on you by mistake and I’m so sorry,” the golden-haired boy said in a rush, cheeks hotter than Calum’s now as the dark-haired man watched him curiously. “But I just – are you okay? I was really worried you weren’t okay.”

“I’ll be fine,” Calum said as he came closer, stopping right in front of Michael as he looked down at the younger boy. Despite the anger still burning dully in his eyes, he seemed to mean it and Michael grew calmer when Calum reached out shakily to cup his cheek. “I’m just upset but –” The older man faltered and Michael watched his boyfriend nervously, only relaxing when Calum’s face inexplicably softened.

“What is it?” the younger boy asked softly. Calum’s fingers threaded gently through Michael’s golden hair as a tiny smile tugged at his lips, his other hand settling warm on Michael’s narrow shoulder.

“You’re still wearing your bracelet,” Calum said.

“Of course I am,” Michael replied, blushing a soft pink as he covered Calum’s hand with his own. “You made it for me.”

The unhappy set of Calum’s jaw lessened for a moment and he looked happier as Michael stretched up on his tiptoes, barely brushing the underside of the dark-haired man’s chin with his lips. Calum snorted a quiet laugh but his chocolate brown eyes were fond as he gave Michael an appraising look that made the younger boy blush again.

“You want to come round the front?” Calum suggested. “I might work out for a bit first if that’s okay.” His voice became vaguely apologetic. “I’m too keyed up to just sit still right now, y’know? I’m stressed.”

“It’ll be okay, Cal,” Michael said quietly, his fingertips soft as they fluttered against Calum’s muscular shoulder before Michael took a hesitant step back. “I’ll meet you round the front in a minute. Don’t you dare put a shirt back on.”

Calum's lips twitched and Michael decided the stupid joke was worth it as he hurried into his house, rolling his eyes at Karen’s knowing expression with great dignity.

Anything was worth it if it made Calum smile.

*

By the time Calum had got the garage door shut behind him and Michael, he was pissed off again. He kind of hated his parents for making him feel like this because, everything else aside, now he was wasting his time with Michael too and that just didn’t seem _fair_.

“I need a cigarette,” Calum said with a heavy sigh. Michael raised his eyebrows, watching the older man hesitantly.

“I didn’t know you smoked,” Michael said and Calum smiled humourlessly as he headed for the punch bag, curling his hands into fists.

“I don’t,” he said, eyes burning as he sent his knuckles slamming into the material. “Not anymore.”

Calum punched it as hard as he could, over and over until even _Michael_ seemed to realise that there was no discernible technique here… that Calum really _was_ just punching it as hard as he could, with no thought to any possible damage he might be doing to himself.

“Stop it,” the younger boy said quietly from where he was standing beside the rack of weights nearby. Calum’s fist hit the punch bag again with a dull smacking sound but it didn’t alleviate the tension settling in his shoulders. “Calum, _stop_.”

“Why would I stop? This is the only thing helping,” Calum muttered, perhaps unfairly. His dark curls were sticking to his forehead with sweat and he could feel Michael’s eyes tracing the muscular contours of his bare chest. Calum’s fist hit the punch bag again, muscles flexing.

“You said if you hit too hard then you can hurt yourself,” Michael murmured, his expression downcast as he bit his bottom lip, watching Calum anxiously. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’m not going to get hurt,” Calum promised but the words sank in anyway and the dark-haired man felt slightly calmer as he kept his punches more controlled, no longer snapping his arms out blindly as the pent-up emotions in his chest built up.

Michael looked visibly appeased as he wandered closer, staying a careful distance away so that the punch bag didn’t swing into him. He was dressed in soft navy shorts and a pale blue t-shirt patterned with white birds. His golden hair was soft and floppy on his forehead, and his emerald green eyes were still tracing Calum’s chest.

The dark-haired man’s arms fell limply by his sides and he swallowed audibly, taking in the flush colouring Michael’s pale cheeks as he watched Calum with unusually dark eyes.

“Take a picture; it’ll –”

“If you finish that sentence, I’ll probably never kiss you again,” Michael warned him teasingly but he was biting his bottom lip now, taking in the sweat gleaming on Calum’s muscles and the way his chest tapered down into narrow hips. Michael’s fingers twitched like he wanted to pull him closer but wasn’t sure he was allowed. Calum felt a tiny smirk gracing his lips.

“Sorry, kitten.” His grin was audible in his voice and Michael relaxed visibly, smiling crookedly although his cherry-red lips fell open when Calum trailed his fingertips across his own stomach, tilting his head to the side curiously as he watched the younger boy’s reaction.

“You’re so hot,” Michael blurted out and Calum’s face lit up when he saw the younger boy awkwardly trying to rearrange himself in his shorts without his boyfriend seeing.

“Oh my god, Mikey,” Calum said, eyes sparkling. “Are you turned on right now?”

“Shut up,” Michael groaned but he was bright red and his teeth were still sinking into his bottom lip, his pupils blown like maybe he didn’t totally hate Calum drawing attention to it. The dark-haired man smiled again, walking hesitantly closer until he could rest his hands gently on Michael’s hips, keeping his grip purposefully loose enough that Michael could easily pull away. He didn’t though; the golden-haired boy went limp instead, arms winding around Calum’s shoulders as the older man slowly backed him up against the wall.

“Are you hard?” Calum breathed and Michael tipped his head back against the wall, giving Calum room to scatter kisses across his pale throat as the younger boy’s hands tightened around his boyfriend’s shoulders.

“Yeah,” Michael said, voice breathy. “Cal, please –”

Calum’s grip on his hips was a little tighter now and Michael looked like his head was spinning when he finally opened his eyes, pupils so blown that the green was almost hidden from sight. Calum swore under his breath when he felt the heat pooling in his stomach at the undisguised lust saturating Michael’s flushed face.

“Do you want this?” Calum asked softly, drawing back to give Michael room to think. The younger boy pouted as he reached for him but, although Calum dropped a gentle kiss onto Michael’s nose, he didn’t crowd him again. “Because if you’re not sure right now then it doesn’t matter, kitten. We can just –”

“I _am_ sure,” Michael said hurriedly, nodding his head and eyeing Calum with desperation. “Cally, please. I need –”

Michael broke off with a groan when Calum pinned him back against the wall again, his full lips dragging hot down the sensitive skin of the younger boy’s throat as Calum rocked his hips forwards against Michael’s, knees weak beneath him.

Calum could feel the golden-haired boy’s hard cock dragging against his own through the shorts they were wearing and it felt so good that the heat in Calum’s stomach was already starting to tighten. Michael let out a choked moan when Calum thrust forwards again, head falling back against the wall at the pleasure coursing through him. Calum cradled the back of Michael’s head gently in his palm to keep him from knocking it again but his free hand was firm on Michael’s hip as the younger boy groaned against him, eyes wet and needy.

“Cally,” Michael whined desperately. His eyelashes were spiky with tears and there were two points of colour high in his cheeks. His lips parted around a silent moan when Calum rocked forwards again, forehead falling to rest against the younger boy’s.

“Such a pretty boy for me,” Calum murmured, trailing hot kisses down the younger boy’s throat. “Just do what feels good, kitten.” Michael whimpered as he took the words to heart, beginning to grind his swollen cock against Calum’s as their breath tore out of them in moans.

The older man’s lips found Michael’s and the golden-haired boy kissed Calum like he was trying to breathe him in, his fingers tangling too tightly in the dark-haired man’s curls just the way Calum loved. It made him moan and the sound leaving Calum shocked a whine from Michael too, and it was shockingly hot.

Calum was already embarrassingly close, just from watching Michael fall apart in front of him. The sounds tearing out of the younger boy were _so_ nice to listen to and Calum’s breath was tearing out of him in pants now as Michael ran a trembling hand over the older man’s bare chest, stroking the muscles.

Calum rocked his hips forward harder, eyes squeezed tightly shut as their parted lips brushed. They weren’t even kissing anymore; just gasping into each other’s mouths as Michael’s hips jerked harder against Calum’s, his cock rubbing against his boyfriend’s thigh.

Michael’s moan caught in his throat when Calum sucked a kiss into the pale, sensitive skin behind his ear and, as Calum thrust up one more time, Michael came with a broken whine.

The younger boy’s cherry-red lips were swollen from where he’d been biting them and there was a wet patch spreading on the front of his shorts as he shuddered, and then Calum’s cock was grinding perfectly into Michael’s thigh and the younger boy’s fingers were curling too-tightly into Calum’s dark curls again and –

Calum fell apart with a moan, hips rutting against Michael until the friction became too much. Michael’s cheeks were stained red and he was still panting, his knees weak beneath him as an exhausted Calum wrapped his arms gently around his boyfriend’s waist, sticky and sweaty but far too tired to do anything about it right now.

“You okay, kitten?” Calum asked softly, eyes drooping as he tugged Michael down lightly onto the low sofa nearby. The golden-haired boy blinked his glittering eyes open sleepily, smiling at Calum with so much fondness that Calum’s heart felt too big for his chest.

“I’m perfect, Cally,” Michael mumbled and Calum had honestly never agreed with a statement more. “How are you?”

“Never better,” Calum grinned, drawing Michael in for a sleepy kiss as the younger boy curled up in his arms, warm and safe. Calum kissed the top of his boyfriend’s head, the golden hair soft against his full lips as the younger boy fell asleep.

Calum was smiling as he cuddled his boyfriend tighter.

Maybe boxing _wasn’t_ the only thing that helped him release pent-up emotions.

Maybe Michael did too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for reading!  
> Please let me know what you thought :) <3


	5. Catch Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I’m sorry this took a little while! I had a lot of fun writing this update though and I really hope you’ll all enjoy it!  
> Also just in case any of you were having trouble picturing what Michael and Calum look like, Cal looks the way he does right now and Mikey looks something like this: https://33.media.tumblr.com/3f42e873a5cbf747002737944b131a98/tumblr_inline_n3lio7UKuO1rsgb5n.png

Calum came to pick Michael up for their date at eleven. They’d planned it a week in advance, determined to go out and do something that might actually _qualify_ as a ‘date’ since they kind of felt like simply lazing around in Calum’s house didn’t really count.

It was a sunny day when the older man rang Michael’s doorbell and the breeze was warm on Calum’s tanned skin as he waited. The twenty year old was dressed in dark skinny jeans and a black button-up that managed to hide exactly _none_ of the tattoos inking his arms. Michael hadn’t seen this shirt yet but Calum was kind of hoping for at least a blush; his boyfriend flustered was the cutest thing on the planet probably.

Calum’s smile became bashful when the front door opened to reveal Michael’s mum.

“Hi, Calum,” Karen said warmly, voice soft and jovial. Calum’s chocolate brown eyes widened in surprise when he was greeted with a hug but he guessed it wasn’t that strange really; he chatted to her most days after all and she was always friendly whenever she saw him. “Mikey’s just getting ready. Feel free to come in though.” By her tone – and the empty driveway behind him obviously – Calum knew Michael’s dad wasn’t in. Karen pursed her lips like she knew what the younger man was thinking. “Would you like a drink?”

“Oh, I - I’m good thanks.” Calum always got disconcerted when Karen was so friendly to him, mainly because it made him sad that he didn’t talk to his _own_ mum anymore. He was glad Michael had her all the same though; the younger boy deserved at least _one_ parent who loved him unconditionally.

Karen led him into the house and Calum grinned when he heard Michael singing along to a Green Day song upstairs. The living room was nice; all comfortable grey sofas, polished wooden panelling, and bright beams of sunlight entering through the gauzy curtains covering the open windows. Teddy was curled up asleep on the arm of one of the sofas, and the air smelt of books and coffee.

“Have you had your hair cut, Calum?” Karen asked curiously as she settled down in an armchair. “It looks very nice.”

Calum felt his cheeks heating as he ran his fingers through his freshly-cut hair. It was a lot shorter at the sides now but there were still curls on top; an undercut, Calum was fairly certain the girl in the shop had called it. He smiled and his dimples creased his cheeks.

“Thank you,” he said honestly. “I wasn’t sure how I felt about it ‘til now.”

“Well, I think it looks lovely,” Karen said, her green eyes almost identical to her son’s as she smiled at him. “Sit down, Calum. I know Mikey and he won’t rush himself.”

Calum’s lips twitched at that but he did as she asked, sitting down hesitantly beside Teddy and cracking a smile despite himself when the little cat raised its head to watch him curiously. Teddy was still purring as he lay there and Calum reached out slowly, running his hand down the cat’s back as he stroked the short, sun-warmed fur beneath his fingertips.

Teddy stretched out contentedly as Calum petted him and the dark-haired man felt his expression soften when he heard the little cat purr more loudly.

“Are you sure I can’t get you a drink?” Karen asked as she rose, picking up an empty mug from the coffee table and lingering in the doorway. She tilted her head to one side, watching him steadily as he busied himself with stroking the cat again.

“I’m good, thank you,” Calum repeated and Karen smiled, turning towards the kitchen.

“Mum? Who’re you talking to?” Michael yelled from upstairs. Calum snickered quietly at that, rolling his eyes fondly when he heard Michael come thundering downstairs, as graceful as ever.

The seventeen year old went bright red when he appeared in the doorway, dressed in torn blue jeans and a green-and-navy plaid shirt that made his eyes stand out. Michael's golden hair was soft against his pale forehead and he was staring at Calum in total shock which was… odd.

“We… we planned this a week ago,” the older man said awkwardly, smiling but slightly confused. “Um… your mum knew about it?” Michael simply continued to stare which, okay, was not the reaction Calum had been expecting. “Mikey?”

The seventeen year old went redder than ever as he all but _threw_ himself at his boyfriend, wrapping his pale arms tightly around Calum’s waist and squeaking something inaudible. Teddy ran away with a hiss and Michael looked vaguely chagrined as he drew back, smiling sheepishly when he saw Calum gazing down at him with wide eyes.

“Um… hello to you too?” Calum said with poorly-disguised amusement, kissing the end of Michael’s nose when the younger boy finally tilted his head back to look at him. “Are you okay, Mikey?”

Michael was almost scarlet now.

“You cut your hair,” he mumbled, hiding his smile in the soft fabric of his boyfriend’s shirt. “I freaked out about it.” Calum felt a probably-ridiculous flutter of panic.

“Wait… you don’t like it?” Maybe Calum could wear a beanie forever. That might solve the problem… although he lived in Australia where the weather was probably _far_ too hot for that and he couldn’t exactly wear a beanie to work –

And Karen had said she liked it! Had she been lying? Had Calum been walking around with some weird kind of reverse mullet that was, like, enormously unfashionable and horrible to look at?

God, Mali and Tom would never let him live this down, let alone Ashton and Bryana –

And _Luke_.

God, Calum could never leave his house again probably and he’d have to work out inside all the time so no more of his neighbours saw his hair until it had grown out but… what if it _didn’t_ grow out properly? What if it stayed like this forever and Calum looked ridiculous and –

“Oh my god, Calum – stop! I can practically hear your crisis from here!” Michael was giggling again, arms wrapped around Calum’s muscular shoulders as he peppered the older man’s face with kisses. “It looks amazing, I promise. You look _really_ hot – especially with that shirt on? Like, what the hell? I was not prepared?” Michael made it sound like a question and Calum barked out a relieved laugh despite himself. Michael ran his fingers through Calum’s freshly cut hair and kissed him on the nose. “I _promise_ it looks amazing,” the younger boy repeated earnestly, his cheeks pink. “You just surprised me.”

“I thought I was gonna have to wear a hat forever and possibly change my name,” Calum mumbled and Michael’s laughter was infectious as he clung to the older man. Calum’s chocolate brown eyes crinkled when he started giggling too and, by the time Karen returned with a fresh mug of coffee, both of them were laughing harder than ever, flushed and breathless as Calum wiped a tear away and Michael complained that it felt like he’d just developed abs.

“I’m not even going to ask,” Karen smiled as she returned to her seat, smirking slightly when Michael scrambled out of Calum’s lap and the older man let out an ‘ _oof_ ’ when his boyfriend accidentally kneed him in the stomach.

“So where are you two going on your date then?” Karen asked innocently and Calum looked around curiously to find Michael’s cheeks flaming. Up until that point, Michael had made no mention that he’d ever told his mum about them but Calum wasn’t upset – it actually meant a lot to him that Michael felt comfortable enough about them to tell someone he obviously loved so much.

It meant the _world_.

“Well,” Calum said when it became clear that Michael was blushing too much to form a sentence. He was turning the bracelet Calum had made him around his wrist with his fingertip instead and the dark-haired man’s heart felt like it was melting in his chest as his fingers tangled with Michael’s. “There’s this really nice restaurant in town that my friend Bryana recommended so I figured we could go there – they do tons of different stuff so there’d definitely be something Mikey likes.”

“That sounds nice,” Michael said but he was smiling shyly now, his fingers curling more tightly around his boyfriend’s as he watched him. “Can we go now? It’s a really nice day. I don’t want to miss any of it.”

“Of course we can,” Calum smiled, dimples creasing his cheeks. He glanced towards Karen but she was smiling serenely down at Teddy who had just curled up in her lap. Calum bit his lip. “Do you need Mikey back by a certain time, Mrs Clifford?”

Karen rolled her eyes fondly and Michael gave Calum a gentle elbow in the ribs.

“Just Karen is fine,” she corrected but she looked pleasantly amused. “And Mikey doesn’t really have a curfew – he never needed one because he always spent most of his time playing video games so –”

“ _Mum_!” Michael complained but he was kind of smiling. Calum watched them both fondly.

“Have him back by dinner later – say… five o’clock?” she suggested. Michael was pouting slightly but Calum grinned, smiling at her gratefully as he helped his boyfriend up.

“That sounds great,” Calum promised, smiling when Michael’s pale hand reached to card through his dark curls. “I’ll definitely have him back to you by then. Do you need us to pick anything up for you while we’re out?”

If Karen hadn’t been totally convinced about him before, she was now.

“Nothing at all,” she smiled. “I just want you both to have fun - and keep him safe please, okay?” Her expression turned teasing. “He’s my baby bear.”

“ _MUM_!” Michael yelled, his cheeks a worrying shade of red now. Calum grinned but he couldn’t resist pulling the younger boy into a hug and Michael clung to him, burying his burning face in his boyfriend’s chest. Calum dropped a kiss onto the top of the younger boy’s head.

“C’mon, kitten,” Calum breathed, too quiet for Karen to hear him. “Let’s go have some fun.” 

*

Michael was still blushing when they got into Calum’s car, rolling the windows down before they’d even started the engine because it was so stuffy in there. Calum almost burnt his fingers on how hot the buckle on his seat belt felt so he leant over to strap Michael in for him, not wanting him to hurt himself.

“My mum’s so embarrassing,” Michael complained but his eyes were fond and his fingers rose to pet Calum’s new hair gently. The dark-haired man smiled wryly as he straightened up, turning the key in the ignition so the car purred to life.

“She only teases because she loves you,” Calum said honestly, his own dark eyes twinkling as he carefully reversed out of his driveway and onto the quiet road. The sky was a vast uninterrupted blue overhead and the silvery bark of the eucalyptus trees growing on their street was almost too bright to look at in the sunlight. “Anyone can see that.”

Michael harrumphed good-naturedly but he looked quite pleased with himself now as he tangled his fingers in his lap, his eyes falling on his bracelet.

“When I told mum about us, she wasn’t even surprised,” the younger boy said suddenly, his expression fond when Calum chanced a glance over at the end of their road. “She said she guessed it was going to happen.”

“Huh,” Calum said intelligently, blushing when he caught Michael giggling again. “That just… it’s interesting. I’m glad she’s fine with it.” Michael was watching Calum with his soft green eyes and the older man smiled crookedly, keeping his gaze fixed on the road ahead as he entered the town. “I really like you, Mikey. You mean a lot to me.”

Michael cheeks were red again but his hand was soft when it came to rest comfortingly on Calum’s knee.

“I really like you too,” Michael said, his voice soft and sincere. “You’re my favourite person in the world probably.”

Calum smiled as he covered Michael’s hand with his own.

“Right back at ya, kitten,” the older man said with a lame grin. Michael snorted, rolling his eyes in what he presumably thought was a dignified manner.

“Dork,” the younger boy said loftily.

“But that’s why you like me, right?” Calum countered as they drove through the town without stopping. Michael hid his smile by turning to look out of the window but the curve of his cheek gave him away.

“As if,” the younger boy smiled. There were trees passing outside now and, as they turned a corner, a break in the woodland showed them one of Sydney’s many bays as the sunlight sparkled dazzlingly off the water.

“This isn’t the way to town,” Michael noticed, turning to look at his boyfriend curiously. “Cally, where are we going?” Calum smiled at him and Michael’s eyes twinkled like he was about to say something stupid. “Have you finally grown bored of me? Are you going to cook me over a campfire and use me to feed a family of badgers?”

“Um…” Calum had to fight _hard_ not to start laughing as he drove them along. “I don’t know what I was expecting you to say but it wasn’t that.” His lips tugged up at the corners and Michael sat back, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. “However did you work out my evil plan, kitten? How did you discover that – for all this time – I’ve been planning to lure you out here to feed my badger clan?”

Michael tapped his temple with one fingertip, his eyes glittering.

“I’m psychic,” he said with a grin. “Bet you didn’t know _that_ , did you?”

Calum was smiling as he turned off the road onto a narrow lane that led through towering trees. The sun was so bright in the sky that the gravel beneath the tyres was almost glowing and the air around them crackled with summer. Michael was looking out of the window curiously, sweat beading on his forehead as he unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt to reveal a pale blue vest underneath.

“There won’t be much exercise involved,” Calum said as he manoeuvred them off the road and onto a strip of sandy gravel that doubled as parking. “This is just somewhere I go for runs occasionally and I stumbled across this really pretty place the other day. I wanted to show you it.”

Michael smiled shyly over at Calum, brushing a lock of golden hair back from his face as the dark-haired man leant over to press a gentle kiss to his lips.

“You ready to go, kitten?” Calum checked and Michael smiled, nodding as he opened the car door. A wave of heat hit him but he relaxed when Calum’s tall form blocked out the sunlight. “I have water in my bag,” the dark-haired man said softly, his fingertips brushing Michael’s jaw as the younger boy smiled up at him. “And we’ll go grab some lunch after this in town, okay? And then whatever else we do is totally up to you. I just…” Calum rubbed the back of his neck bashfully but his dimples were still creasing his cheeks. “I just really wanted to show you this place.”

“I’m glad you did,” Michael said, his eyes already flickering towards the trail. He could hear running water coming from somewhere in the trees and the air was heavy with pollen, the dull buzz of cicadas coming from all around them. “Let’s go!”

“Not before sun cream,” Calum said as he withdrew a bottle from the backpack he’d got out of the boot. “Close your eyes so I don’t hurt you,” Calum said, applying some carefully to Michael’s cheeks and nose. The sun cream smelt like holidays and fun, and Michael was smiling despite himself, even as he screwed up his face at how cool it was.

“I thought I’d avoided this,” the seventeen year old pointed out with a weak pout. “The vest I have on underneath this shirt is a really pretty colour, see? But I didn’t want to wear just that in case you started fussing with the sun cream again.” Michael opened one green eye to frown at Calum and the dark-haired man grinned, dropping a kiss onto his boyfriend’s nose. “You’re like a mother hen,” Michael said accusingly and Calum pretended to be offended.

“You wound me,” Calum said dramatically as he locked the car, his feet crunching on the dusty gravel. The sun was baking down, sizzling almost, but the trees were tall and promised shade. “I’m wounded, kitten. Wounded.”

“Silly,” Michael smiled, his cherry-red lips tugging up into a smile. He caught Calum’s fingers between his own and gave him an excited tug towards the trees. “Now c’mon – let’s get in the shade before we catch fire or something!”

“It’s not _that_ hot!” Calum teased but Michael was giggling again now as they both jogged for the trees.

Probably better not to risk it.

*

It was cooler in the shade and the sound of running water was much louder, indicating that there was a stream or a brook nearby. Calum liked it in here; the air smelt clean and fresh, and the twigs crunched in a satisfying way beneath his Vans. Beside him and still holding his hand, Michael peered around with interest.

“This looks like one of the forests in the game I was playing this morning,” Michael said with mild surprise, his face lighting up. “Except there are no mammoths. Or cannibals.” Calum snorted despite himself and, when he looked over, Michael’s green eyes were twinkling.

“That sounds like an interesting game,” Calum teased but the younger boy was watching him hopefully now and it made the dark-haired man smile. “What’s it called? What do you have to do in it?”

“It’s called Far Cry Primal,” Michael explained earnestly, gesticulating excitedly with his free hand while the other remained firmly entwined with Calum’s. “It’s based in, like, 10,000 BCE or something, and you’re trying to survive and stuff. It’s really cool honestly. I tamed a wolf and unlocked all these cool new characters on the map this morning – and the graphics are incredible! The game is awesome honestly.”

“It sounds it,” Calum said and, looking at the happiness saturating his boyfriend’s face, he meant it. “I’d like to watch you play it at some point,” he said and Michael smiled, his green eyes sparkling in his pale face.

“I’d really like that,” he said. “You should come round some evening this week. Dad works late a lot and mum won’t let him bother us even if he is home.” Calum hesitated, not wanting to see Michael’s face inevitably fall if he said no.

“Sure,” the dark-haired man said, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. “If your mum’s cool with it.”

“She will be,” Michael said dreamily, throwing his head back to gaze up at the wide blue sky. A magpie was wheeling in the sky overhead that the younger boy was following with his eyes but Calum was more interested in watching his boyfriend.

He really liked that Michael spent all his time playing horrible video games but loved dressing all pretty. Calum found it strangely perfect because, no matter what the younger boy had been told in the past, it _was_ okay to like flowers and… and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and games with cannibals in and wearing pretty clothes and…

Calum could go on about it forever. Michael beginning to accept himself was something beautiful and Calum loved it.

“It’s so pretty here,” the younger boy said softly, smiling when he heard birds singing in the trees. Calum gave his boyfriend’s hand a gentle squeeze as he raised it, dropping a soft kiss onto the younger boy’s knuckles. “Are we nearly there?” Michael asked eagerly and Calum smiled, his chocolate brown eyes gentle.

“It’s not far at all,” he promised. 

*

The glade was just how Calum remembered it.

It was an almost perfect circle, edged with towering pines as the long grass swayed like sea-green waves. Bluebells and hyacinths bobbed in the breeze but there were other wildflowers too; daisies and buttercups and forget-me-nots that made Michael clasp his hands over his chest, wide eyes sparkling.

Calum decided that the glade looked even more beautiful in the sunlight but it dimmed in comparison to the beautiful boy standing beside him.

“This is the loveliest place ever,” Michael whispered, his voice all soft and awestruck like their surroundings had taken him by surprise. The seventeen year old looked so small as he ventured forwards and Calum’s heart felt too large for his chest when he saw the blades of grass brushing Michael’s trailing fingers.

“It almost comes up to your waist,” Calum noted with mild surprise. Michael glanced back over his shoulder at the older man, rolling his eyes fondly. “I don’t want to lose you in it.”

Michael’s emerald green eyes flashed at him playfully.

“Uh oh,” the younger boy said, eyes wide as he purposefully fell backwards with a muted thud into the long grass. It undoubtedly cushioned his fall but Calum still lurched forwards in shock, large hands outstretched in a vain attempt to catch him. Calum fell down onto his knees clumsily and Michael grinned as he curled his pale fingers around the older man’s wrist, tugging him down on top of him.

“Silly,” Michael said again, kissing Calum’s nose.

“You’re mean,” the older man said, smirking slightly. “I thought a family of flesh-eating badgers had stolen you before I was ready to say goodbye.”

“ _Clearly_ I would have fought them all off single-handedly,” Michael said airily. “I would have whistled and called my wolf. It would have been _fine_.”

“We’re not in Far Cry Primal now, kitten,” Calum teased but his chocolate brown eyes were soft as he rolled over onto his back, opening his arms for Michael.

The grass was tickling their skin and the low buzz of insects was even louder now but Calum felt surprisingly content. The air was warm and heavy, and Michael was a comforting weight in his boyfriend’s arms as he turned his head, pressing a gentle kiss to the older man’s tanned skin.

“It’s beautiful here. I love the flowers,” Michael said dreamily, making Calum suppress his smile. The younger boy let out a sudden laugh and Calum propped his head up in his palm, looking down at the beautiful boy curiously.

“What is it?” Calum asked, poking Michael lightly on the end of his nose. His skin still smelt like sun cream when Calum kissed his cheek and Michael closed his eyes, a blissful expression on his face.

“We’re like that scene in Twilight where Bella and Edward are lying in the meadow,” Michael said thoughtfully and Calum grinned.

“I’m going to open my shirt and show you my dramatic silver medallion,” Calum said, utterly deadpan. Michael looked confused for a split-second before he burst out laughing.

“That’s Vampires Suck!” The younger boy was kind of cackling now but it was the most adorable thing and Calum literally prayed that he’d never stop.

“Should’ve known you’d like Twilight,” the older man said teasingly, nudging Michael lightly in the ribs with his elbow. Calum hesitated before he glanced at Michael out of the corner of his eye, face crinkling as he smiled. “So… were you Team Edward or Team Jacob?”

“Team Edward,” Michael said firmly. “Every single time.” The golden-haired boy took one look at Calum’s face and let out a dramatic groan. “Oh, so you were more of a Team Jacob kinda guy?”

“When he wasn’t being problematic,” Calum said honestly before his eyes twinkled at Michael. “I liked his tattoo. It was cool.”

Michael nodded in agreement, apparently too hot lying so close to Calum because he wriggled back a little and slumped down sleepily into the flowers. He looked so beautiful lying there surrounded by them and Calum’s chocolate brown eyes were sparkling as he stroked Michael’s soft fringe back from his sweaty forehead. Although the younger boy kept his pretty eyes shut, Calum thought he saw the hint of a smile curving Michael’s cherry-red lips.

“I have a surprise for you,” Calum said and Michael cracked one of his eyes open curiously.

“What is it?” the younger boy asked softly but Calum was thinking about what Michael had said that day in his kitchen, about how he liked to be pretty and feminine. Calum had been planning this ever since he’d stumbled across this place, and he’d done a lot of research online which had basically resulted in him watching loads of YouTube tutorials and returning to the craft shop for something called ‘floral wire’.

“I’m making you a flower crown,” Calum said cheerfully, taking great satisfaction in the way Michael blushed, his smile widening. “I’m going to do it properly and everything. I have _wire_.”

“You’re the best boyfriend ever,” Michael murmured and there was something blooming in his eyes that was too fragile to name.

“I do my best,” Calum smiled as his dimples returned. “You just lay back, kitten. I’m making you a crown fit for a princess, okay?”

Michael’s cheeks were hotter now but he was biting his lip as he smiled up at him.

“Okay,” Michael breathed and Calum got to work.

The dark-haired man took the wire from his bag and bent it carefully into a circle shape, measuring it on Michael’s head and smiling proudly when he managed to secure the ends together by twisting it. Then Calum went off foraging for greenery to add although he never ventured very far, returning triumphantly with ferns and a number of pretty fallen leaves he’d found that had long stems.

Calum sat cross-legged beside Michael as he carefully wrapped the greenery around the wire, knotting the stems gently so that they stayed in place.

“You’re good with your hands,” Michael joked with this lame smirk on his face that made Calum’s grin stretch wide. Then Michael’s eyes settled on the bracelet Calum had made him and his expression became sweeter. “You really are, you know,” the younger boy murmured.

Calum smiled, ducking his head shyly as he continued wrapping the ferns, his tattooed skin warm in the sunlight. Michael began to sing softly under his breath as he watched his boyfriend work, his green eyes fond when he saw how Calum’s tongue was poking out of his mouth as he concentrated.

“You’re so cute,” Michael said, reaching out idly and letting his fingertips trail over Calum’s inked arm. Calum let the unfinished crown fall into his lap, catching Michael’s hand and kissing each of his fingers until the younger boy was giggling again, his head cushioned on the grass as the light breeze carried in the fresh smell of the river.

“So are you, kitten,” Calum said softly. “Now do you want to help me choose the flowers or do you trust my judgement?”

“I trust you,” Michael said but his words sounded a lot more sincere than the situation really called for. Calum’s expression softened as he cupped the younger boy’s cheek gently and there was so much they could have said then but… now wasn’t the right time.

“Better get to work then,” Calum said, cheeks heating up as he headed for the daisies. “This is going to be the most magnificent flower crown _ever_.”

Michael stretched languidly in the sunlight, his golden hair shining as he smiled, letting his eyes fall shut.

“With you making it, Cal, I don’t doubt it.”

*

Michael wore his flower crown on the drive back to town.

The sun was still beating down and it was almost scorching now, the air-conditioning in Calum’s car working overtime as it tried (and failed) to keep them cool.

They found one of the last spaces in the car park and Calum maneuvered in fairly easily. The heat haze was giving him a bit of a headache now and, despite them spending a lot more time in the forest than he’d originally planned, he wasn’t particularly hungry in this heat.

“Would you mind if we _didn’t_ go to the restaurant today?” Michael asked quietly, biting his bottom lip hard enough that Calum had to free it gently with his thumb. “Because it’s really hot and it’s kind of just making me want to get ice cream and paddle instead…”

“That sounds like the best plan ever,” Calum grinned and, no sooner had the words left his mouth, Michael was already clambering out of the car. The dark-haired man smiled, brushing his dark sweaty curls back from his forehead as he went to join Michael outside. The younger boy smiled up at him sweetly as his green eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

“Last one there gets fed to the badgers!” Calum yelled and then the pair of them were running across the car park and Michael was yelling something along the lines of ‘ _how dare you make me exercise again?!_ ’ and, god, Calum hadn’t smiled this much in years.

Michael made him feel like he was _flying_.

*

The inside of Calum’s car was full of sand now and the seats smelt of sea water where Michael had accidentally-on-purpose sent the pair of them tumbling into the surf together. It had resulted in some sort of weird tickle fight that had come to a natural conclusion when Calum had managed to inhale saltwater but it had still been a lot of fun.

“I had a lovely time with you today,” Calum said, bumping Michael lightly with his arm as they sat together in the stiflingly-hot car. Michael looked over at him with his soft emerald eyes, flashing a beautiful smile beneath the daisies.

“This was my favourite thing ever,” the younger boy said seriously. “We should go on ‘real’ dates more often.”

“I think you may be right,” Calum agreed as he turned the car onto their road, slowing down so that he could turn onto his driveway. Neither of them spoke but their eyes found the clock and Calum sighed despite himself. It was only three o’clock.

“We still have a few hours yet,” Michael said like he could read the older man’s mind. The younger boy was pouting vaguely as he folded his arms across his chest, presumably refusing to get out of Calum’s car. The flower crown was still sitting proudly on his head. “I don’t want to go home yet. Dad’s there and he’ll just ask me where I’ve been, and I don’t know what mum’s told him and I don’t want today to be ruined and –”

“Mikey, it’s okay,” Calum murmured, leaning forwards to press a fleeting, risky kiss to his boyfriend’s lips. “Do you want to come into my place until it’s time for you to go home instead?”

Michael’s eyes twinkled when he smiled.

“I’d like that a lot,” the younger boy said softly. “Thank you, Cal. For today. For everything.”

Calum curled their little fingers together, smiling down bashfully as he felt Michael’s gaze on his face.

“Come inside, kitten,” the older man said quietly, his dimples reappearing in his cheeks. “We can watch a film or something; just cool down a bit.”

Michael smiled as they climbed out of the car.

“Sounds like a plan.” 

*

“What _is_ this film, Cal?” Michael asked in amusement. They were watching it on Calum’s pride and joy – his glorious flat screen TV that he’d forked out for when he first moved in – and there were currently lots of motorbike-riding Americans screaming as they were chased by badly-animated tarantulas the size of cars.

“Uh…” Calum hit the information button on the remote, snorting a laugh when he saw the title. “Eight-Legged Freaks,” he read. “Huh. I mean… it’s both better and worse than I thought it would be.”

“Better _how_?” Michael demanded but he was close to giggling and it was just about the cutest thing ever.

"The main guy in the film is kind of hot?" Calum suggested hopefully and Michael rolled his eyes, trying hard not to smile.

They’d both cooled down a lot by now. The windows in Calum’s living room had been flung open but the curtains were shut to keep the sunlight out and the room was much cooler now. Their glasses of half-finished lemonade sitting on the coffee table were cold enough that the glass was decorated with beads of condensation and Calum’s bare skin was sticking to the grey sofa he was lounging on, his button-up lying discarded on the wooden floor because he was too lazy to put it into the washing machine yet.

“Still too hot,” Michael mumbled and Calum fixed the younger boy with a curious look. The seventeen year old was only wearing his vest now but they were both still in skinny jeans which… was kind of stupid in such hot weather.

“We could just… I mean… watching films in boxers is cool, right?” Calum suggested hesitantly, careful to keep his gaze fixed on the screen so that Michael wouldn’t feel pressured. He felt the younger boy hesitate beside him before, slowly, Michael’s hands fell to unbutton his jeans. He wriggled out of them with only mild difficulty and, after a moment, Calum did the same.

It felt much nicer now that there was more cool air, at least until Michael snorted out a laugh when he saw Calum’s _lovely_ comic book boxers.

“Don’t judge me,” Calum teased, his eyes twinkling. “These are cool. They were like… a whole five dollars or something.”

“Five dollars. Wow,” Michael said flatly but his lips were twitching as he settled back down on the sofa. The younger boy’s head fell to rest on Calum’s shoulder and the dark-haired man turned carefully, kissing the top of his boyfriend’s head.

They watched the film quietly for a few more minutes before Michael’s face fell, making Calum look down at him in mild concern.

“What’s wrong, kitten?” Calum asked softly. He hit the pause button on the remote and the characters onscreen froze as, beside him, so did Michael.

“It’s nothing. My vest was just sticking to my back. It doesn’t matter,” Michael said awkwardly, his voice quiet and unhappy. Calum bit his lip.

“You don’t want to take it off?” he asked gently and Michael shook his head, his expression uncertain.

“I… I don’t like… how I look…” Michael’s cheeks were red as he twisted the hem of the pale blue vest between his trembling fingers. “I’m not… I don’t look like you do, Cal.” Michael wouldn’t meet his gaze but his cheeks were flaming and Calum hated that he was hurting.

“But you… you look like _you_ ,” the older man said softly, hoping the helplessness he was feeling wasn’t obvious in his tone. Calum cupped Michael’s cheek gently and the younger boy let out a mournful sniff, finally meeting Calum’s eyes. “You’re _beautiful_ , Mikey. I swear you are.” Calum sighed softly, his eyelashes fanning out on his cheeks as he looked down sadly. “I just wish you could see it.”

“Probably not going to happen but… thank you all the same.” Michael’s cheeks were still heated and Calum bit his lip, squeezing Michael’s shoulder reassuringly.

“Maybe I could _show_ you how lovely you are,” Calum whispered and it might have been his imagination but Michael’s eyes looked faintly darker now.

“Oh yeah?” the younger boy breathed, his cheeks pink as he watched Calum, swallowing audibly. “How’re you gonna do that?”

“Like this,” Calum answered, leaning forwards and cradling Michael’s cheek in his palm as he kissed the younger boy gently. “Just say no if you want me to stop,” Calum breathed but Michael stayed quiet, simply gripping the older man’s muscular shoulders and pulling him closer as Michael parted his lips, deepening the kiss.

Calum broke away to breathe after a few moments but Michael’s pupils were _definitely_ blown now as, with a determined look, he tugged his vest off over his head. His skin was soft and pale – just what the dark-haired man had expected – and Michael was so lovely that it made Calum want to cuddle him close and never let him go again.

“Knew you were beautiful," Calum said and Michael's lips fell open in surprise. Calum smiled gently. "See?” the older man whispered, pushing Michael gently back against the sofa so that he could kiss his throat. “Nothing to be afraid of, kitten.”

Calum’s lips trailed down his boyfriend’s chest and, although Michael’s breath caught when Calum’s mouth drifted near his nipple, Calum didn’t move to take it into his mouth, even if he _did_ want to know what sounds he could draw out of Michael with his tongue. He wasn’t sure the younger boy was totally there yet though and the last thing Calum wanted to do was scare him.

“Cal,” Michael whined, his cheeks red as his hands slipped to cover his tummy again. Calum nudged them aside lightly with his head which seemed to amuse Michael if the slightly surprised laugh was anything to go by. Calum nuzzled the soft, sweet-smelling skin there until Michael was giggling, tugging lightly at Calum’s hair in a way that only _kind_ of turned him on as he tugged Calum away.

“Stop! Stop it!” Michael giggled breathlessly because apparently Calum’s lips were tickling him.

“Never, kitten! You tickle-attacked me earlier! You deserve this!” Calum’s eyes softened though and his voice dropped to a murmur as he leant in to nuzzle it again, making Michael’s breath hitch. “You shouldn’t be shy of your tummy, Mikey. It’s beautiful. It’s part of _you_ , kitten.”

Michael’s lips were parted and his breathing was coming heavier when Calum raised his head from the sensitive skin of his stomach. There was a flush spreading down the younger boy's throat that looked _almost_ like he was… turned on?

Calum’s eyes fell down to Michael’s soft grey boxers and he pressed his lips together to keep from groaning. “Can I?” Calum whispered and Michael nodded jerkily. There was pre-cum leaking in a little damp patch on the front of the boxers and Calum reached to smear his thumb over it lightly, making Michael whine and jerk his hips.

His cheeks were redder than ever now and the flush was spreading all the way down the younger boy's chest, and Michael had been cute earlier when he was giggling but now he just looked _hot_ with his soft golden hair and the way he kept biting at his bottom lip.

Calum caught Michael’s lips in a soft kiss but Michael’s fingers tangled in his boyfriend’s hair and he brought Calum closer, lips parting as his tongue stroked hot over the older man’s.

Their hips brushed when Calum settled down over him and Michael whined as his teeth caught on Calum’s full bottom lip. The dark-haired man pulled away with a groan, ducking his head for a moment as his hands smoothed comfortingly down the younger boy’s sides.

Michael’s hips jerked into Calum’s palm when the older man cupped him hesitantly through the damp material and Michael shuddered, whining when he felt Calum tracing his fingertip down the hard line of his boyfriend’s clothed cock.

“How do you feel about taking these off?” Calum asked curiously but he grinned when Michael immediately wriggled out of his boxers. His hard cock rested flushed and leaking on his pale thigh as the younger boy’s fingers dipped under the waistband of Calum’s boxers too, his expression hopeful.

“I’m taking them off! Just give me a chance,” the dark-haired man teased and Michael was smiling now, his expression equal parts apprehensive and turned on as he watched his boyfriend strip with dark eyes.

Michael sucked his bottom lip into his mouth to keep his moan in when he saw Calum naked for the first time and if that didn’t give the older man a confidence boost then nothing would.

Michael looked a little uncertain when Calum flopped down onto the sofa beside him and the dark-haired man frowned faintly, his hand coming to rest reassuringly on the younger boy’s shoulder.

“You okay, kitten?” Calum asked gently, taking in the slight blush colouring Michael’s cheeks and the way his hand had slipped down to cover his tummy. “We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to, Mikey. I promise.” Calum’s eyes were soft and, although Michael still looked embarrassed, he finally caught the older man’s gaze, still worrying his lip between his teeth. “Do you just want to watch the rest of the film?” Calum suggested.

It was growing hot enough in the living room that his dark hair was starting to stick to his forehead but he knew it was way worse outside. The rays of sunlight were illuminating the cracks around the curtains and Michael looked _small_ in the shadowy room.

“I _do_ want this,” the younger boy promised and, despite how flushed his cheeks still were, he seemed to mean it. “I just… I know you said all that stuff… about how you think I’m... _beautiful_...” Michael was even more red now but he was staring at Calum in something like wonder. “But -”

“You’re thinking too much,” Calum murmured, brushing soft kisses across Michael’s knuckles. “Just let yourself _feel_... okay, kitten? I _promise_ it will be worth it.”

“Okay,” Michael said and he was kind of grinning despite himself now, fingertips trailing warm over Calum’s hot skin, stroking over the muscles and making heat pool in the older man's stomach. Calum’s hips rocked forwards unconsciously when Michael’s fingers drifted timidly over his cock but then the younger boy’s hands settled on his waist instead, his cherry-red lips curved into a smile with too many teeth as he urged Calum closer.

“Cally, c’mon,” Michael pleaded but his cherry-red lips fell open with a gasp when he felt the older man settling warmly over him, bare cocks catching together as Calum rocked his hips down slowly.

“ _Damn_ , kitten,” Calum groaned, sucking a kiss into the pale skin of Michael’s shoulder as the younger boy clung to him. “Feel so good.”

“ _Cal_.” Michael’s voice already sounded wrecked, his pupils blown and his eyes wider than ever as his hips rolled against Calum’s, cocks leaking between them. It felt better this time; all slick skin and strangled whines, and Michael swallowing his moans and choking on them as he rutted desperately against his boyfriend, chasing release.

Calum stroked Michael’s golden hair back gently from his sweaty forehead and the younger boy closed his eyes, losing himself in the sensations as pre-cum smeared against his soft tummy when Calum rocked down again.

Michael was panting now, sweating and moaning as he sucked his cherry-red lip into his mouth, whimpering when Calum’s tongue slid hot over his pale, sensitive skin. When Michael’s fingers wound tightly into the older man’s curls - a tiny smirk on his face like he already _knew_ Calum loved it - the dark-haired man started to near the end too.

Heat coiled tightly in his stomach as his cock caught against Michael’s but there was desperation etched into Michael’s face now and Calum knew how he felt. He caught his boyfriend’s lips in a surprisingly warm kiss that Michael moaned into and, grinding down one more time, the older man lost control.

Calum came with a broken moan, arching his back as his fingers pressed into Michael’s hips and the younger boy’s fingers pulled at his hair. Calum’s cum shot between the warm press of their skin and Michael fell apart with a whine, hips jerking and eyes rolling shut as he shuddered through it.

The room felt even hotter now and it was making Calum feel lethargic as he lay there, head tucked into the warm curve of Michael’s neck as the younger boy stroked his dark curls gently. Their skin was sticking together wherever they were touching and Calum pushed himself up slowly, giving Michael an easy smile as the golden-haired boy grinned at him. Michael’s tummy was totally covered with cum now which was kind of gross but hot too probably, and the younger boy’s hand twitched like he was considering running his fingers through it.

Calum caught his boyfriend’s hand, tangling their fingers together and pressing a soft kiss to the younger boy’s knuckles as he lay sprawled there.

“We didn’t cool down after all,” Michael mumbled, lips twitching as he gazed up at his boyfriend with sleepy, drooping eyes. Calum leant down to kiss him gently.

“Do you want a bath with me, Mikey?” the dark-haired man asked hesitantly. Michael considered it for a moment before he nodded as a smile curved his lips. “Come on upstairs then, kitten. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

Calum ran them a bath and kindly pretended not to notice when Michael touched the white liquid drying sticky on his skin, smearing it about with his fingers. His cheeks were red but he was biting his lip like maybe he didn’t totally hate it and Calum considered that as he filled the bath with bubbles before climbing in.

“You ready, kitten?” Calum asked gently and Michael’s bashful smile lit up his face as he took his boyfriend’s extended hands, clambering in too. They sank down into the warm water and Michael leant back against Calum’s chest, a content smile on his face as his emerald eyes slid shut.

Calum dropped a kiss onto his boyfriend’s forehead and Michael hummed agreeably, turning his head to nuzzle his beautiful face into Calum’s neck. The water smelt good and Michael was a warm comforting weight in his arms, his fingers stroking comforting patterns into his boyfriend’s tanned skin beneath the water.

It was only when Michael opened his eyes and smiled up at him that Calum realised he was falling in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading!  
> I really hope you liked it :)  
> Please let me know what you thought <3


	6. Baby Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so _so **so**_ sorry it took me so long to update but I hope you'll enjoy this!  
>  Mikey and Cal give me feels, and I missed writing them a lot <3

Michael _still_ hadn’t bought Fallout 4 yet.

He only got a couple of dollars a week as pocket money and he’d never had the greatest willpower so he kept buying cool t-shirts when he went shopping so he never saved up enough. Karen kept making pointed comments about him cleaning the house for her in exchange for cash but the seventeen year old hadn't _quite_ sunk that low yet.

However, he _had_ decided that he might offer to wash the neighbours’ cars.

They’d seemed thrilled about the idea, unfortunately. A part of Michael had kind of been hoping they’d turn him down so he’d have an excuse to continue being lazy.

Michael sighed dejectedly as he dropped the sponge into the bucket of soapy, rapidly-cooling water. The sky was a vibrant blue overhead and the tarmac was almost glittering in the heat haze as the baked summer air rolled up from the paving stones. Michael had cleaned almost every car on his street now - and he’d made close to forty dollars which still wasn’t _quite_ enough - and his dad had finally taken pity on him, saying Michael could clean his car for him and he’d make up the difference.

Daryl and Karen had gone out for the day in Karen’s car, something about an art exhibition at the local museum that Michael hadn’t been that interested in, and Michael was getting bored now. The water was making his hands feel kind of sore and Daryl’s car had been almost ridiculously muddy (apparently the car park at work was in bad shape) but Michael was trying to convince himself that it was worth it, even as he flopped down dramatically onto the floor of his driveway and closed his eyes against the sun once he was finished.

It was calming for all of five seconds, until the sponge caught him straight in the face and covered him in water.

Michael came up spluttering, wiping the probably-dirty water out of his emerald green eyes as he looked around in mild alarm, only to feel a smile spreading wide across his face when he heard Calum’s familiar bark of laughter as he straightened up from where he’d been hiding behind the car.

“Hello, you,” Michael said, one eyebrow rising when he saw Calum still holding the other sponge. It was dripping water and the older man grinned, dimples creasing his cheeks as his dark curls fell into his eyes. He was wearing his running clothes, sweat beading on his tanned skin as he stuck his tongue out at Michael cheekily. “Any particular reason you tried to assault me with a sponge?”

“Just thought it’d be funny,” Calum smiled with a shrug, pretending to examine his fingernails although the younger boy would have to have been blind not to see the way Calum was measuring the distance between them with a calculated expression. Meanwhile, Michael was edging towards the bucket where the fallen sponge was sitting.

“Oh no you don’t!” Calum yelled and then everything was a bit of a blur as Michael flung himself towards the bucket, grabbed the sponge, and rolled to fling it at Calum, just as the older man sprawled over him and squeezed the water all over his boyfriend.

“Don’t!” Michael shrieked, giggling so hard it came out sounding breathless as he writhed. “It’s dirty, Cal! Stop it!”

The seventeen year old’s white t-shirt was basically see-through now and the dark-haired man was still pretty much sitting on top of him. Calum seemed to realise at exactly the same time because his eyes darkened and he stopped laughing although the faint smile never entirely faded from his handsome face.

“Cal,” Michael breathed and the dark-haired man’s full lips tugged into a smile that was _almost_ a smirk as he climbed up, extending a hand to help a blushing Michael rise too. Calum brushed some bubbles from Michael’s cheek and the younger boy gazed up at him, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth as he tilted his head to the side curiously.

“Dad’s car is all clean now,” Michael said slowly, glancing down as he picked at his soaking t-shirt with his thumb and forefinger. “Sun’s drying it already. Can’t say the same for me though.”

“Maybe you need a shower, kitten,” Calum said in a low voice, his dark gaze following Michael’s as his eyes tracked his boyfriend’s chest. Calum swallowed audibly.

“So do you,” Michael said and he was pleasantly surprised when his voice didn’t break like it wanted to. “Maybe we should help each other.”

Calum was grinning as he dropped his hand to entwine his fingers with his boyfriend’s. Apparently that was all it took to make his face light up with a smile and Michael was so glad he’d plucked up the courage to say it; Calum’s smile was so beautiful that it made Michael’s head spin.

“Your place or mine?” the older man said and Michael hesitated for a moment before he tugged them towards Calum’s house. Better safe than sorry and he’d just remembered that first day in Calum’s living room when he’d pictured being in the shower with the older man and… fuck, the knowledge that that was about to become a _reality_ was more than Michael could stand.

“Hurry up,” Michael mumbled, cheeks flaming as Calum patted the pockets of his navy blue shorts, searching for his keys.

“Needy,” Calum noted but his lips were curving up into a grin now and Michael couldn’t help but press closer to his boyfriend, arms wrapping around the older man’s waist as he huffed out a grudging laugh.

“Shut up,” Michael grinned, rosy cheeks aching with how hard he was smiling as Calum finally got the door open and ushered him into the hallway. The golden-haired boy kicked his shoes off and Calum pressed a brief kiss to his boyfriend’s lips before he disappeared off to grab a quick glass of water.

“A pint of water, huh? That’s romantic,” Michael pouted and Calum laughed, almost choking on his drink.

“I can’t focus on making you feel great if I’m dehydrated,” Calum said which was just… unacceptable.

“You can’t just - just insinuate things like that!” Michael spluttered but Calum was pretending to be innocent now as he squeezed Michael’s hand again, towing the younger boy carefully upstairs. Michael had only been up here a few times but he’d never paid much attention as he’d always been either desperate for Calum to touch him - like he may or may not have been now - or orgasm-drunk which wasn’t exactly conducive to paying attention.

“You good, Mikey?” Calum checked quietly when the golden-haired boy hesitated in the doorway. Calum’s expression was gentle when the younger boy tilted his head to look at him and Calum practically beamed when Michael stretched up on his tiptoes to kiss him.

“Definitely,” the younger boy replied and, if Michael sounded breathless, Calum was kind enough not to mention it.

Their clothes fell onto the bathroom floor quickly and Michael grimaced as he peeled his soaking t-shirt off carefully. Calum snorted when he saw the disgruntled expression on his boyfriend’s face but his chocolate brown eyes became gentle as he stepped closer, warm skin pressing up against Michael’s as he carded his fingers gently through the younger boy’s hair. He knew it was a big deal that Michael showed himself to Calum like this and the older man wasn't taking it lightly.

“Shower now, kitten?” Calum prompted gently and Michael gave a contented hum, nodding as his arms came up to slip around the older man’s shoulders. Michael didn’t feel so self-conscious like this; not when Calum had just kissed his forehead and rubbed his hand comfortingly down the younger boy’s ribs as he reached to turn the shower on.

“Music?” Michael suggested and Calum’s smile was warm as he found his phone in the pocket of his shorts nearby, thumbing through his playlist quickly before he settled on a track.

“ _Out in the wild, party in nowhere land, we start a fire; sparklers in every hand. No phones, let go. Cut all the strings tonight._ ”

Michael’s face split into a happy smile when he identified The Summer Set's Lightning In A Bottle playing and Calum’s dimples creased his cheeks as he drew Michael closer again. The water heated up quickly and the younger boy could barely hide his smile in Calum’s broad shoulder as the dark-haired man helped him climb in carefully. The water was hot and Michael’s breath escaped him in a contented sigh when Calum’s hands ran down his back again, the touch almost _reverent_ as his full lips found Michael’s.

" _Singin' aloud, howlin' right at the moon. We're making out. Life's never felt so good. Bring on the storm. We're willin' out tonight._ "

Michael’s small hands slipped curiously over Calum’s chest, fingertips dipping between the muscles as they tensed under Michael’s hands. The younger boy’s lips parted and Calum pressed closer with a little groan, his tongue sliding hot over Michael’s before he drew back to suck the younger boy’s full bottom lip into his mouth.

" _Then you lost your shoes as it started to rain and your jeans soaked through but you smiled anyway. Throw your hearts in the air, hearts in the air, hearts in the air._ "

Michael whimpered when he felt the faintest hint of Calum’s teeth, the hot swipe of his tongue as he sucked the sting away, and Michael’s hands were clumsy as they slid to grip his boyfriend’s hips, head spinning as his blood rushed south.

" _We're catching lightning in a bottle. Don't give a fuck about tomorrow._ ”

Calum was hard now too. Michael could feel it as their cocks caught slickly together between the heat of their bodies and it was making Michael’s cheeks flame scarlet as Calum rocked against him gently, making the pleasure building in Michael smoulder like hot coals in his stomach as he moaned helplessly.

“ _Yeah, we're dancing in the backseat. We don't need gravity here in the afterglow._ "

“Kitten,” Calum said and his voice was lower now, rougher with something that made heat spark pleasantly in Michael’s stomach. “Turn around for me, baby boy.”

Michael moaned again without meaning to as he hurried to do what the older man had said, his cheeks stained with blood at the pet name as lust crashed over him like a wave. Calum hadn’t even touched him properly yet and already Michael felt like he was just seconds away from falling apart. The younger boy glanced down as Calum pressed close behind him and Michael groaned softly when he saw how hard he was; how flushed and red his cock looked as pre-cum welled up at the tip, washing away beneath the shower spray.

" _Yeah, we're rolling with the thunder. Now take a breath, we're going under._ ”

“You want this, kitten?” Calum checked again and Michael almost knocked him in the face when he nodded frantically, his heart hammering in his ribs because… god, they’d never touched each other like this before. Not _properly_ but… fuck, Michael wanted it so much.

“ _Yes_ ,” the younger boy gasped raggedly and Calum hid his smile in Michael’s shoulder as his long fingers curled gently around the younger boy’s cock. Michael whimpered, slumping back against Calum as his legs threatened to give out beneath him at the sudden, shocking pleasure pulsing through him.

It just felt so _good_ when Calum touched him like this and Michael couldn’t believe it made such a difference with someone else’s hand but - fuck, Calum was touching his cock. Calum was _jerking him off because he wanted to make Michael cum_ and… and fuck, Michael was going to finish _embarrassingly_ quickly.

" _We're getting busy on the backstreets. We don't need gravity here in the afterglow._ "

Calum nudged Michael’s feet apart carefully as the water beat down around them, correcting his stance like he’d done that day when they were boxing. Michael groaned quietly when he felt the damp heat of Calum’s cock brushing against him and he braced his hands on the wet tiles, letting his head fall forwards as Calum drew his fist firmly up the length of his boyfriend’s cock.

" _Back of the car; blankets and me and you. We're running on perfectly wasted youth._ "

Michael felt a little insecure when Calum’s free hand stroked gently across his tummy but Calum was still scattering kisses across the younger boy’s shoulders and, when Calum murmured how beautiful he thought Michael was, the golden-haired boy stopped worrying.

Calum's fingers felt too good rolling around the head of his cock and the warmth in his chest felt a lot like love when Calum cuddled him closer, his thighs warm where they were pressed against Michael’s, his cock hot as it slid gently between the younger boy’s cheeks - the perfect kind of friction.

" _I'll hold you close. We'll call this home tonight._ "

When Calum reached down carefully between Michael’s spread legs and cupped his balls, Michael almost came there and then. A high whimpering sound tore out of him and he could barely stay upright anymore as the heat in his stomach tightened at the steady burn of pleasure.

“So good, kitten,” Calum groaned, the words humid against the back of Michael’s neck, making the golden-haired boy shudder as Calum’s cock leaked pre-cum, throbbing against his pale skin. “Feel so good.”

Michael didn’t think his voice was steady enough to risk answering back. He simply rocked his hips into Calum’s fist and whined brokenly when the pad of Calum’s thumb rubbed teasingly over the slit, making him see stars.

" _And the fake tattoo that you drew on my arm had an X and an O. Never change who you are. _"__

Michael’s breath was tearing out of him in gasps now and the flush was spreading down to his chest as Calum hooked his chin over Michael’s pale shoulder, teeth grazing the younger boy’s earlobe. Michael whined when he felt Calum’s smile curling against his sensitive skin. The dark-haired man ducked his head, sucking a tiny kiss into Michael’s shoulder so that a bruise the size of a flower petal bloomed there.

Michael’s cock leaked, so hard now that his legs were shaking beneath him, and Calum’s lips dragging hot down the younger boy’s neck made Michael want to fall down as the older man continued to roll his hips against his boyfriend.

" _Throw our hearts in the air, hearts in the air, hearts in the air._ "

Calum wasn’t shy about chasing his release and Michael’s hands were sliding on the tiles as Calum fucked up against him, the friction so hot and goddamn perfect that Michael couldn’t quite stop himself from picturing where they might one day end up and… and _god_ , the thought of Calum fucking him one day was too much for Michael to handle.

His hips jerked and his balls drew up tight to his body, and Calum dragged his lips across the soft skin behind his boyfriend’s ear as his free hand slipped up the younger boy’s chest.

" _We're catching lightning in a bottle. Don't give a fuck about tomorrow._ "

“ _Mikey_ ,” Calum murmured and his voice was so rough now that Michael turned his face away, whimpering into his pale shoulder as Calum’s hips kept rocking. Calum was so close to climaxing now and he wasn’t trying to hold back; the last time they’d been together Michael had seemed to thoroughly _enjoy_ the sticky mess on his stomach and Calum figured maybe this was something Michael liked.

“You want me to cum, kitten?” Calum whispered, lips brushing the shell of Michael’s ear gently as the younger boy gave a choked moan when his boyfriend tightened his fist. Michael nodded jerkily, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment as his cheeks flamed. “You want me to cum… on you?” Calum’s tone was soft and hesitant at best but there was something cocksure in his smirk that had Michael unravelling rapidly in the cradle of Calum’s arms.

“ _Fuck_ , Cally, please,” Michael cried. “Please, please, please.”

" _Yeah, we're dancing in the backseat. We don't need gravity here in the afterglow._ "

Michael reached behind him blindly, pale fingers tangling too-tight in Calum’s dark curls as he pulled at them, and Calum bit Michael’s shoulder as he came with a groan all over the younger boy’s arse.

The feeling of hot wetness spreading over his skin punched a strangled groan out of Michael and he was almost crying now, hips jerking desperately into the older man’s hand as he lost his rhythm.

" _Yeah, we're rolling with the thunder. Now take a breath, we're going under._ "

Calum kissed Michael’s bruised shoulder in a gentle apology when his hips finally stopped moving but Michael was restless now as Calum’s cum smeared between them, making his toes curl with pleasure as the hot water dripped down his face like tears.

“Gonna make you cum, kitten,” Calum murmured and Michael nodded jerkily, cheeks flaming, eyes desperate. “Gonna make you cum so hard you can’t stand up anymore. You want that, kitten? Yeah?”

Michael moaned his affirmation and Calum smiled as he turned Michael carefully, pressing him back against the tiles which had luckily warmed with the hot water. One of the older man's thighs slipped between Michael’s legs, giving him some support, and Michael whimpered helplessly at the friction.

" _We're getting busy on the backstreets. We don't need gravity here in the afterglow, here in the afterglow._ "

Michael spread his hands on the tiles like starfishes, breaths tearing out of him loudly when Calum took the younger boy’s cock into his hand again, spreading the pre-cum up and down the shaft as Michael’s knees trembled beneath him.

Calum loved seeing Michael spread out for him like this. It reminded him of that day after they’d ran around on the beach and spent time in the forest. Michael had lay down on the sofa with him, utterly naked, and so soft and warm that it had taken Calum’s breath away, and the older man had been afraid of _breaking_ him… but Calum wasn’t afraid of that now. He could see the life thrumming in Michael’s veins and there was nothing fragile about the younger boy, no matter what either of them might think.

Michael looked _so_ much more than alive.

" _Hearts in the air, hearts in the air, hearts in the air. Throw our hearts in the air, hearts in the air, hearts in the air, hearts in the air._ "

When Calum dropped his head to suck one of Michael’s nipples into his mouth, the younger boy’s hips jerked hard and his head fall back against the wall with a dull thud as a wrecked moan tore out of him. His flushed cock was throbbing in Calum’s fist now and, when the dark-haired man pinched the other nipple lightly between his fingers as he licked hot over the first, Michael fell apart with a broken cry.

" _We're catching lightning in a bottle. Don't give a fuck about tomorrow. Yeah, we're dancing in the backseat. We don't need gravity here in the afterglow._ "

Michael came hard, spilling over Calum’s fingers as his hips jerked uselessly, legs giving way beneath him. Calum’s arms slipped warmly around his waist to hold him up, his lips brushing Michael’s damp golden hair gently as the younger boy sobbed into his neck, completely overwhelmed.

“Hey, kitten,” Calum said softly, rocking Michael in his arms as he stroked the younger boy’s soft waist gently. “Hey, Mikey, it’s okay.”

Calum kissed his forehead and Michael tilted his head back, his beautiful tear-streaked face saturated with a beautiful mixture of lust, weariness, and something too precious to name.

" _Yeah, we're rolling with the thunder. Now take a breath, we're going under. We're getting busy on the backstreets. We don't need gravity here in the afterglow, here in the afterglow, here in the afterglow._ "

“My god, you’re so beautiful,” Calum whispered, dropping a kiss onto Michael’s nose.

The golden-haired boy smiled bashfully, ducking his head as he pressed a soft kiss to Calum’s collarbone, still clinging on tightly because his legs were shaky beneath him.

“I like it when you call me baby boy,” Michael breathed, almost too quiet to hear. “And kitten. I like it a lot.”

“I like _you_ a lot,” Calum countered softly.

" _Hearts in the air, hearts in the air, hearts in the air, hearts in the air. Here in the afterglow._ "

“I like you too, Cal,” Michael said but the word didn’t feel like enough somehow. A crease appeared on his forehead and Calum’s lovely, chocolate brown eyes softened as he kissed it away with a gentle brush of his lips.

“You’re lovely, you are,” Calum mumbled, nose brushing Michael’s gently when the younger boy looked up at him with wide eyes. Calum smiled his crinkly-eyed smile like the gigantic dork he was and Michael’s heart melted in his chest as he pulled the older man down into a hug.

" _Hearts in the air, hearts in the air, hearts in the air. Here in the afterglow._ "

Michael didn’t want to keep this a secret anymore and the knowledge of that shocked him as his heart ached in his chest. Calum kissed him gently and Michael’s stomach felt like it was full of butterflies as that odd ache in his chest made itself apparent again.

He thought he might be falling in love and the knowledge didn’t scare him at all which was probably the strangest thing.

“Don’t let go of me, Cal,” Michael said softly, keeping his arms locked tight around the older man’s waist. “Don’t you dare let go.”

“I won’t, Mikey,” Calum murmured, dropping another kiss onto the younger boy’s hair as the water pounded down hot around them. “I promise. Not ever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! :)  
> Please let me know what you thought <3


	7. You're All I Need

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so long and fluffy and angsty and smutty, and I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that it took me over 10 hours to write.  
> I hope you don't hate it!!
> 
> By the way, if all goes to plan, this should be the angstiest chapter in the fic so that's something! It's positively tame by my usual standards...

Calum took Michael to the zoo next Saturday.

The day dawned bright and hot, the sky an unblemished pale blue that was interrupted only by the gulls wheeling in the air overhead. Calum and Michael drove along in the older man’s car with the windows rolled down, both singing along to the music Michael had picked out with excited smiles on their faces. Calum held his boyfriend’s hand over the gear shift and Michael couldn’t quite wrestle the smile from his face.

“You excited, kitten?” Calum asked when he saw Michael’s grin as they drove into the carpark. The younger boy looked over at him with glittering green eyes, practically beaming as he jiggled excitedly in his seat.

“Um… how about _yes_!” Michael was basically giggling now and it was just about the cutest thing ever. “This is going to be the best day ever! We’re going to the _zoo_ , Cal! I need to see the lions! I need to see the flamingos! I need –”

“Sun cream,” Calum interrupted with a look of forced innocence upon his face. “You need sun cream or your mum will never let me take you out again.”

“But I don't want it! And it’s _hot_ putting it on in your car with the windows shut,” the younger boy complained in a whiny tone. Michael sat there pouting while the older man applied the sun cream but Calum froze when he was smoothing the sun cream into Michael’s arm because –

“ _Mikey_ ,” Calum said and his voice was kind of embarrassingly thick now. “You’re still wearing the bracelet I made you?”

Michael ducked his head bashfully but his smile was soft as he entwined his fingers gently with Calum’s, his quiet: “I haven’t taken it off, Cal” almost too soft to hear. Calum sniffled, dimples creasing his cheeks as he drew Michael into a slightly awkward hug in the stuffy, cramped space.

“You’re really cute,” Calum said thickly, his chocolate brown eyes all twinkly and soft. “You know that, Mikey? You’re the sweetest.”

“You gigantic softy,” Michael teased but his smile was _loving_. “C’mon, Cally. Let’s go see us some animals, okay?”

“Okay,” Calum said, rolling his eyes fondly although they fluttered shut when Michael leant forwards to press a gentle kiss to his lips. The golden-haired boy drew back after a few seconds, a satisfied smile on his face.

“Now let’s get out of this oven.”

*

Michael hadn’t been joking when he told Calum he loved the zoo.

The very moment Calum had bought their tickets, Michael had escaped and it was only the older man’s fingers entwined with his boyfriend’s that kept Calum from losing an over-excited Michael in the crowd. He was like a puppy almost and it was ridiculously endearing.

Calum remembered that day the pair of them had lay together in his garden discussing going to the zoo one day and Michael was true to his word. He really _did_ rush around everywhere and trip over his own feet a lot but, luckily for him, Calum found the whole situation adorable and was there to catch him whenever he stumbled.

The weather had turned a little cooler as the day went on and, while Michael had originally been downhearted about this, Calum had quickly reassured him that it was better this way. If it was too hot then the animals tended to hide away in the shade so at least now they’d actually be able to see them properly.

“Cal, there’s a snake! Look!”

“OH MY GOD, CALUM! A TIGER! A _TIGER_!”

“Cally, look! Tapirs! They have _tapirs_!”

Michael’s excited outbursts went on this way for some time and Calum’s face was aching from smiling by the time they stopped for lunch. There was a restaurant in the central plaza and Calum couldn’t hold his laughter in when the younger boy excitedly hauled him towards the pizza bar like a puppy on a lead.

“Hey,” Calum said, somewhat defensively, when Michael burst out laughing as his boyfriend joined him at the table Michael had managed to secure. He was balancing a tray piled high with food and he was blushing as he fought not to smile. “I’m still bulking up so triple cheese pizza with extra pepperoni is _allowed_ , okay? We have our first football game of the season tomorrow!”

“Captain Calum,” Michael said, and snorted. Calum flicked a piece of pepperoni at him and barked with laughter when Michael caught it in his mouth.

“Excellent coordination,” Calum teased and Michael smiled smugly.

The next piece hit him on the nose.

*

They went to the petting enclosure after they’d finished eating and Michael was calmer now, fingers tangled with Calum’s as they wandered between the families milling around. They knelt to meet piglets and lambs, and Michael smiled so wide he had to tuck his face away into his boyfriend’s neck when a chinchilla allowed the younger boy to pet it.

“We should go to one of those conservation centres one day,” Calum said quietly as they headed into the outdoor enclosure to meet the rabbits and guinea pigs. “Those ones just for marsupials, right?”

“I’d love that,” Michael said with shining eyes. “I’ve never held a koala before.”

“You’re the worst Australian ever,” Calum teased and Michael raised an eyebrow as he straightened up, suppressing his smile with difficulty when his boyfriend’s arms wound gently around his waist.

“Have _you_ held one then?” Michael countered. Calum hesitated, lips twitching.

“No,” he admitted and Michael giggled into his neck. “I never have. I heard they can give you chlamydia if they pee on you.”

Michael cackled before he could stop himself.

“No, Calum!” Michael gasped out, still laughing helplessly. “They don’t all have it and they only pass it amongst themselves anyway. Next thing I know you’ll be telling me you think drop bears are real!”

“Well, I used to _think_ they were real,” Calum said, eyes crinkling as he smiled. “Mali convinced me they were and it pretty much traumatised me. I was scared to walk under the trees in our back garden for _weeks_. My mum had to –”

Calum faltered and the flicker of pain on his face was only visible for the most fleeting of seconds. Michael frowned, stretching up onto his tiptoes and catching Calum’s lips in a gentle kiss.

“I’m sorry you’re sad,” the golden-haired boy whispered. Calum smiled and it touched his eyes.

“I’m not sad, Mikey. I’m with you.”

Michael couldn’t resist kissing his boyfriend then, small hands rising to cradle the older man’s face gently. Michael wanted to tell Calum he loved him and the words were almost out of his mouth before he caught himself, pressing a slightly wide-eyed kiss to Calum’s shoulder through the navy blue t-shirt the older man was wearing.

“You want to have a look in the gift shop before we leave?” Calum asked gently and Michael pressed his lips together tightly, giving a wordless nod. He squeezed the older man’s hand again and Calum smiled, leading the way.

The sky was grey outside now as the clouds rolled in but Michael didn’t mind. Calum had shrugged out of his hoodie a little while ago and draped it around the younger boy’s shoulders, and Michael was probably never going to take it off. It was warm and it gave him sweater paws and it had zip-up pockets _inside_ , and it smelt like _Calum_ which was to say that it was the single best piece of clothing Michael had ever had the fortune to wear.

The younger boy picked out a nice leather bracelet for Calum, a flamingo bookmark for his mum, and a monkey keyring for his dad which he paid for with his pocket money – Fallout 4 could wait – while the older man sneakily went to buy a stuffed toy at the till. He wouldn’t let Michael see what it was until they were outside the shop and the golden-haired boy gave an excited squeak when Calum pushed the soft koala toy into Michael’s arms.

“There you go,” Calum murmured, ducking his head shyly. “Now you’ve held one, kitten.”

“And I didn’t get chlamydia,” Michael said, ruining the moment. Calum’s bark of laughter seemed to surprise him and he ruffled Michael’s hair, slinging his arm around the younger boy’s shoulders.

“You’re so silly,” Calum teased fondly and Michael’s cheeks heated with blood as he gave a little bow. The dark-haired man smiled, his hand warm and comforting on his boyfriend’s shoulder as he led him back towards the car park.

“Come on, baby boy,” Calum said gently, dropping a kiss onto Michael’s soft golden hair. “Time to go home.”

*

Calum dropped Michael off just before five o’clock and the younger boy jerked awake in surprise when Calum’s hand settled gently on his knee. Michael had somehow managed to sleep the whole way home without realising it, snuggled up warmly in Calum’s hoodie with his new koala lying in his lap, and he was sad he’d missed the opportunity to talk with Calum.

They were parked in the older man’s driveway now and Michael glanced warily towards his house where his parents’ car was parked nearby. His breath escaped him in a quiet sigh when he realised Daryl must be at home too.

Michael was sick of hiding how he felt.

“I had a lovely time today,” Michael said softly. “Thank you.” Calum held his hand and Michael’s cheeks flushed when Calum pressed a gentle kiss to his knuckles.

“So did I,” Calum said and, despite the faint wistfulness to his expression – maybe _he_ didn’t want the day to be over either – his eyes were warm. “But you get inside now, kitten. Go in the warm… and you can keep the hoodie, okay? You look cute in it.”

Michael risked pressing a fleeting kiss to Calum’s full lips, almost defiant of his father spotting him now. He left his hand lingering on Calum’s cheek and the dark-haired man covered it warmly with his own.

“Thank you. I’ll text you later or something,” Michael said softly. “And good luck for your football game tomorrow.” The younger boy paused for a moment, inhaling shakily before he squared his jaw, his face even paler than usual. “Calum, I…”

The silence in the car stretched and the dark-haired man watched him uncertainly.

“Michael?” Calum asked weakly, forehead creasing when the younger boy’s voice failed him. “Kitten, what is it?”

The golden-haired boy swallowed audibly, managing a weak grimace in lieu of a smile.

“I think… I think I’m going to come out to my dad tonight,” Michael said, voice little more than a whisper. “I had such a lovely time with you today and… I don’t know. I don’t want to feel like I have to hide this… how I feel about you… how _good_ we are.”

Calum’s dark eyes were wide as he carded his fingers gently through Michael’s golden hair, trying in vain to calm the faintly trembling boy sitting across from him.

Calum didn’t promise that everything was going to be okay and Michael just appreciated it a lot. All the older man did was undo his boyfriend’s seatbelt and draw Michael gently into his lap.

“You’ve still got me, kitten,” Calum promised, rubbing the younger boy’s back soothingly as he kissed his forehead. “No matter what happens, you’ve still got me. I promise.”

*

Calum felt strange when he let himself into his empty house that evening. Goosebumps rose on his arms now that he was without his hoodie and he felt sad without Michael there… almost _lost._ They’d had such a lovely day together though and that was what Calum was trying to focus on now. Seeing Michael smiling and laughing, and looking so _happy_ … well, that was just about Calum’s very favourite thing in the world.

He made himself a sandwich for dinner that night, not really hungry after the ridiculous amount of pizza they’d had for lunch. Calum kept himself busy that evening. He checked he had everything ready for his football game tomorrow, including uniform and timings; he double-checked he had enough food in the fridge to appease Mali and Tom when they came round after the game for dinner; and then he took a long shower and tried to ignore the ache in his chest as he texted Michael a simple: ‘ **I hope it goes okay. X** ’

It didn’t feel like enough and Calum definitely wanted to say more – namely, ‘I love you’ – but he didn’t want to overwhelm Michael. He wasn’t totally sure the younger boy was quite there yet and there was no point making things uncomfortable unnecessarily. Not when they were already good like this.

Calum didn’t turn the television on when he finally settled down in the living room. He just slumped back on the sofa and stared silently up at the ceiling instead, allowing his dark eyes to close for a moment.

God, he hoped Michael was okay.

The night Calum came out was one of his worst probably. His parents kicked him out and he had nowhere to go. Calum had sat on the kerb outside his house, flinching when his father threw a bag of his stuff out onto the pavement nearby but still refusing to budge as he reeled with shock at how badly everything had gone.

Calum ended up going to Luke’s house and crashing on his sofa for the next few weeks until he scraped together enough cash to buy himself a suit, get a job, and eventually move in with Ashton and Bryana for a few months until he could get his feet under him. By that point, Mali had come back home from university and Calum had been able to carry on.

He wasn’t dumb. He knew he wouldn’t have been able to move on at all if it hadn’t been for his support network and that thought worried Calum too… what Michael might do if this all went south.

As far as Calum knew, Michael didn’t have too many friends at school. He didn’t get on with the other students and they seemed to leave him out a bit, and it cut Calum up inside that maybe he and Karen were all Michael had... but no.

Calum’s friends were Michael’s friends too, even if the younger boy _didn’t_ realise that right now. The others already thought it. They asked Calum to bring Michael along all the time and Bryana was completely smitten with him. (Calum couldn’t really blame her there.)

His phone sat on the coffee table nearby, screen dark, and Calum felt unease churning in his stomach. Michael hadn’t texted him back yet. He _always_ texted back so quickly but… but not this time.

For just a moment, Calum managed to convince himself that he could hear raised voices faintly through the wall but maybe he just had an overactive imagination.

Calum’s heartbeat sounded loud in the sudden silence and the dark-haired man went out into the hallway without knowing why. He sat at the bottom of the stairs with his phone clutched tightly in his hands, turning it over silently as the moon rose in the sky outside and his leg began to jiggle, too restless to sit still.

Finally, Calum’s phone screen lit up with an incoming call and he hurt his thumb hitting the answer button so hard.

“Mike?” Calum was instantly anxious. “Are you okay? How did it go? I was –” He heard a shaky intake of breath over the phone, followed by an even shakier one and… god, Michael must be _crying._

“Kitten?” Calum murmured and Michael’s sob sounded loud over the phone.

“Can I... can I come over and –” He was crying so hard he could barely talk and Calum’s heart sank like a stone in his chest.

“Of course,” the dark-haired man said softly, his voice thick with tears as he got up to unlock the front door. “Of course you can, Mikey.”

Michael appeared in under a minute, his hair shower-damp, and his small body covered with pyjamas and Calum’s hoodie. His pale face was flushed and blotchy from getting upset, and Calum opened his arms wordlessly as he pulled Michael into a tight hug.

The younger boy started crying again and Calum’s heart broke in his chest as he rocked his boyfriend gently, scattering kisses over Michael’s soft golden hair as his tears soaked Calum’s pyjama top.

The front door to the Clifford house opened and Calum stiffened defensively, his expression turning stony as he held Michael closer, backing out of the light rain that was just beginning to fall. He needn’t have worried though; it was just Karen following her only son with tears in her eyes and a bag of what seemed to be clean clothes for Michael to wear tomorrow.

“I’m so sorry,” Karen said softly when she got close and Michael whimpered when he heard her, burrowing closer to Calum’s chest with his flaming cheeks as she squeezed her son’s shoulder gently. Calum looked up at her helplessly, aware that she had always accepted Michael no matter what but finding little comfort in it now.

“I hope it’s okay if Mike stays with you tonight? I… I don’t think him staying at home with… with Daryl tonight…” Her voice trailed away delicately with something like disappointment and Michael flinched, wriggling his hand up between the warm press of their bodies so that he could bite at his own fist in an effort to stay quiet. Calum stopped him gently, cupping Michael’s sweaty tear-streaked face in both of his hands as he dropped a kiss onto the younger boy’s forehead.

“I’ll look after him,” Calum promised, never once taking his eyes from Michael. “I promise. For as long as he needs.”

Michael covered his mouth with the too-long sleeves of Calum’s hoodie, his eyes agonised as the tears rolled down his cheeks. Calum knew how he felt. Despite having been raised in an environment that had clearly discouraged same-sex relationships, Calum had hoped that maybe his parents would be able to make an exception for him… and that denial being torn away had cut him deeper than anything.

This was how Michael felt now.

“Let me take him inside… out of the rain,” Calum said quietly and Karen pressed her lips together hard, her expression pained but fiercely grateful as she kissed the top of Michael’s head before she passed the bag of clothes to Calum.

“Thank you,” she said softly, green eyes sliding to Michael’s pained expression. “I love you, baby. I’m so sorry… but he’ll come round. I know he will. I’ll make him see sense. It just might take a little while.”

“Thank you,” Calum said and Michael pressed closer, tucking his face away into the comforting smell of the older man’s neck as his little fingers wound through Calum’s dark curls. “Thank you for trusting me with him.”

Karen smiled sadly and her eyes were wet with tears.

“Of course, Calum,” she said softly. “Who else?”

*

Calum wasn’t sure he was properly equipped to deal with a heartbroken seventeen year old but, _god_ , he was going to try.

Calum went upstairs and got his softest, fluffiest blanket from the wardrobe; made hot chocolate and dug around in the cupboards until he found an unopened packet of chocolate chip cookies; and re-entered the dimly lit living room to find Michael sitting where he’d left him, with his arms wrapped tightly around himself and tears drying sticky on his cheeks. Calum’s heart broke for him but he forced himself to focus on the matter at hand, setting the tray holding their drinks and the plate of cookies on the table before he wrapped the blanket gently around his boyfriend’s shoulders.

Calum kissed Michael’s nose gently and the younger boy tried for a smile that _almost_ reached his eyes as he stuffed half of a cookie into his mouth, chased it down his some hot chocolate, and pretty much _threw_ himself into Calum’s arms.

“Hello,” the younger boy said softly, cheeks stained red and golden hair sticking up messily where he’d been running his fingers through it.

“Hello,” Calum said, smiling a tiny bit when Michael leant down to kiss him. “Do you want to watch a film or something? Kill some time before bed?”

Michael thought about it for a moment before he shook his head slowly, his eyes glistening in the lamplight, the shadows stretching on the walls like ink. The curtains were pulled tightly shut and the blanket had fallen down around them. Everything felt comforting and _safe_ now. Calum never wanted to let Michael go.

“No,” the younger boy whispered, his pale hand trembling as his fingers rose to brush Calum’s lips. “Will… will you kiss me please? I want to forget.” Michael closed his eyes for a moment, his eyelashes fanning out on his cheeks as he inhaled shakily, struggling to calm himself. “I _n-need_ to forget.”

Michael’s voice cracked and Calum considered this for a long moment before shrugging, not seeing any harm in it. Michael seemed to have calmed down now and Calum didn’t think kissing Michael until he felt a little better could make things worse.

“Sure, kitten,” the dark-haired man promised, pushing Michael lightly back down onto the sofa before he settled over him carefully. Michael’s beautiful face wasn’t so blotchy now but his eyelashes were still spiky with tears so Calum was determined to play this carefully. “You just tell me if you want us to stop, okay?”

“Okay, Cally,” Michael promised but his eyes were already falling shut as his fingers tangled deliciously tightly in the dark-haired man’s hair and Calum focused on making him stop hurting.

Calum was content to kiss Michael gently but the younger boy surged up to meet him, a muffled groan escaping Calum when Michael’s teeth caught his bottom lip. The kiss was hungry enough that heat pooled in Calum’s stomach and he drew away with a gasp, leaving breathless kisses on the pale column of Michael’s throat as the younger boy squirmed beneath him.

“ _Cal_ ,” Michael gasped out, his eyes falling shut as the older man grinded down gently. “Cal, please –”

“Of course. I’ve got you, kitten.” Calum’s voice was low and rougher with lust but his fingers were so gentle as he carefully undid the zip of the hoodie, revealing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pyjama top hiding underneath. Calum’s dimples creased his cheeks but his eyes grew darker when he saw the faint bruise he’d left on the underside of his boyfriend’s jaw. “God, you’re so cute, Mikey. So beautiful, baby boy. Love kissing you. Love touching you so much.”

Calum rolled his hips again and Michael flung his head back into the cushions with a whine, his lips falling open, his eyes screwing shut as his chest heaved.

“ _Fuck_ , Cal!” Michael’s voice was strangled, his cheeks staining red again as his fingers twisted in the soft material of the blanket. He was hard now, leaking inside his pyjama trousers as Calum gently rocked his hips down, swallowing the moan that escaped Michael in a heated kiss.

“Beautiful,” Calum repeated and Michael was gazing up at him with heavily lidded eyes now, any trace of self-consciousness gone under the weight of his lust and desperation. Calum’s hands slipped under Michael’s t-shirt, tracing the warm skin of his soft tummy before he reached the younger boy’s sensitive nipples.

Calum pushed the younger boy's t-shirt up carefully to see what he was doing and Michael’s breath tore out of him in a ragged gasp when Calum stroked the younger boy's nipples, pinching them lightly until Michael was writhing; until his hips were bucking up; until the leaking head of his cock was pushing against the waistband of his trousers as Calum rocked down slowly against him.

God, Michael looked so good like this. Calum could watch him all night.

He ducked his head to suck lightly on one of Michael’s nipples and the golden-haired boy made a little choking noise when the dark-haired man's tongue washed over it, his cock throbbing where it lay hotly against his soft stomach.

“Cal, your _mouth_ ,” Michael gasped out and Calum felt faintly smug now as he trailed kisses down his boyfriend’s ribs. Presumably it must have tickled because Michael let out a breathless giggle that made Calum smile without meaning to.

Michael’s shaking hand found its way into Calum’s hair and the dark-haired man smiled encouragingly when Michael kicked his way free of the blanket clumsily, almost knocking the dark-haired man off the sofa in the process. Calum grinned as he scattered kisses across his boyfriend’s chest again and Michael was still giggling, all soft and cuddly and needy, and Calum knew he was going to be okay.

“Go on,” Michael breathed hopefully, his pupils blown dark although he was still smiling wide. Calum ducked his head to trail kisses lightly over the younger boy’s soft tummy but Michael’s giggles cut off abruptly and Calum looked up to find that Michael’s face had flushed crimson instead, like he was embarrassed.

“Sorry, kitten,” Calum mumbled because, if Michael was blushing _this_ furiously, maybe he’d been too shy to tell Calum if he was uncomfortable. Calum tried to move back a safe distance but Michael’s hand was trembling when he reached out to grab Calum’s tattooed wrist.

"Don't -" Michael's voice was thick with something and he swallowed hard, trying again. "Please don't stop."

Calum took in Michael’s kiss-bitten lips and the way his chest was heaving and… god, he was obviously _painfully_ hard now and Calum probably hadn’t been helping by kissing all over his stomach except…

“You want me to blow you, kitten?” Calum’s voice was like melted chocolate to Michael’s ears and he gave a little whimper as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut, nodding furiously. Calum groaned, breath ghosting hot over where Michael was leaking inside his trousers. “You want me to suck you off? Want your cock in my mouth, baby boy?”

Michael’s answering moan was _so_ strangled and desperate-sounding that Calum finally stopped teasing him, simply crawling up Michael’s body to press a soft kiss to his lips before he sank back down again to carefully ease the pyjama trousers down the younger boy’s pale legs.

"Gonna make you feel so good, kitten," Calum whispered, glancing up through pupils blown huge to see Michael worrying his bottom lip between his teeth as his thighs fell open. His cock was lying hard and leaking on his tummy, flushed a rosy pink and slightly curved as Calum reached out to run his finger lightly down the length of it.

It twitched beneath his fingertip, a bead of pre-cum welling up at the tip, and Michael's breath escaped him in a whine when Calum kissed it away gently. The dark-haired man suppressed his smile with difficulty, pumping Michael's cock in his fist as the younger boy let out a breathy groan that sent the heat coiling tighter in Calum's stomach.

" _Cal_ ," Michael croaked and the older man smiled, holding his boyfriend's gaze as he ducked his head to trace the underside of Michael's cock with his tongue. The golden-haired boy shuddered beneath him, a soft cry tearing out of him when Calum wrapped his lips around the tip, sucking gently.

Michael's milky thighs were trembling under the comforting weight of Calum's palms and the older man's forearm was warm across Michael's hips when he moved to hold the younger boy still as Michael arched his back, desperate and unthinking.

Calum didn't blame him, not even when Michael's fingers tangled in his hair when the older man finally started to take the golden-haired boy's cock into his mouth. Michael couldn't help it. Calum _knew_ no one had ever touched him like this before and Calum had been just as bad during his first time too probably. It didn't matter in the slightest.

Michael deserved everything he wanted and more, and Calum was going to give it to him.

Calum ducked his head to suck at Michael's balls as his hand picked up where his mouth had left off and the younger boy writhed, gasping out shaky moans as Calum's tongue slid hot over Michael's swollen cock.

When Calum took it back into his mouth again, the younger boy cried out loudly enough that Calum's cock began to leak in his boxers. Michael's hands were gentle now as they softly petted Calum's hair and the older man couldn't quite keep from grinding his cock down against the sofa cushions, desperate for friction as he slowly but surely took Michael's cock into his throat.

The muscles clenched around it thickly and the little choking sound that tore out of Calum only made Michael moan louder, the emerald of his eyes almost hidden from sight as he watched Calum going down on him almost _painfully_ slowly.

Michael's chest was rising and falling rapidly, the fingers of his free hand twisting in the blankets as he cried out, sobbing brokenly at the pleasure boiling inside him. The golden-haired boy was panting as a teary-eyed Calum worked to relax his throat around him and Michael moaned high in his throat when Calum finally forced him down, practically _drowning_ in pleasure now.

Calum rolled Michael's balls gently in his palm and the younger boy threw his head back, completely overwhelmed as the tears started to leak down his face. Calum's fingertip brushed Michael's hole by mistake - soft and pink and delicate - and, although the younger boy's eyes widened in shock as he grinded down desperately, Calum didn't think it was a good idea to go any further than this right now. Not today.

Not yet.

Michael's breathing was heavy and laboured now, and he was crying weakly with how desperate he was. Calum glanced up at him as he drew back a little, just focusing on the head, and his heart softened in his chest when he saw how glazed Michael's lovely eyes were; how swollen his cherry-red lips were as his teeth sank into them; how needy his broken little cry of Calum's name sounded when it tore out of him without his permission.

"I've got you, kitten," Calum murmured as he wrapped his fingers around Michael's cock, jerking it in his fist as Calum took the tip back into his mouth again, curling his tongue hot into the slit. All it took was Calum's finger drifting down to stroke over Michael's hole again, just slightly pressing in, and the younger boy fell apart with a broken sob.

Michael shuddered through his orgasm with tears leaking down his flushed face, his breathing heavy and ragged, his soft tummy clenching under Calum's forearm as the dark-haired man swallowed everything Michael gave him, sucking him through it. Calum only drew away when Michael began to flinch at the overstimulation and the golden-haired boy's eyes fluttered shut when his cock slipped free to lie limply against his thigh.

Calum couldn't stand waiting anymore. He was so hard it hurt and the pre-cum had soaked the front of his pyjamas when he finally slipped a hand into his own pants, fucking into his fist with a desperation he hadn't felt in a long time. It only took a few moments, as tightly coiled as he was, and Calum came with a muffled groan, burying his face in the damp skin of Michael's neck as he pressed kisses there.

Michael was still gasping and limp beneath him but his hands were soft as they slipped beneath Calum's shirt, and he pressed a soft kiss to the older man's shoulder as he rubbed his back soothingly.

' _I love you_ ,' Calum wanted to say, and didn't. Michael had had a tough enough day as it was. He hardly needed Calum making things more confusing.

"That... that was..." Michael's voice trailed away but his cheeks were still red and his expression was wonderstruck despite the tears still rolling relentlessly down his cheeks. "Wow." Michael gave Calum a watery smile when the older man finally raised his head, smiling his crinkly-eyed smile as he pressed a soft kiss to his boyfriend's lips.

"I wanna do that to you one day," Michael whispered and Calum groaned, hiding his smile once more in Michael's neck as the younger boy clung to him like a koala, his cherry-red lips soft on Calum's cheek.

"How're you feeling, kitten?" the dark-haired man asked softly and Michael fell quiet. Calum's expression became strained when he looked up in time to see the tears beginning to roll anew down the younger boy's face and Calum pushed himself clumsily into a sitting position, drawing Michael wordlessly into his muscular arms.

"I'm sorry," Calum whispered as he cuddled his boyfriend tightly. Michael felt small in his arms with his head tucked beneath the older man's chin and Calum's throat thickened painfully. "I'm so sorry it didn't go the way you deserve. I'm so _sorry_ , Mikey."

Michael's pale hand was trembling when it rose to stroke Calum's cheek gently but he kept it there, stretching up to press a gentle kiss to the older man's full lips.

"Don't be sorry, Cal," Michael murmured, his whole body radiating exhaustion and love. "I've got _you_. You're all I need."

His eyes fell shut when Calum pressed a kiss to his forehead but they flew open in surprise when Calum rose easily, keeping Michael cradled to his chest. The moon was shining high in the sky outside and Calum left their tray on the coffee table as he carried Michael towards the stairs, scooping Karen's bag up as they went. He could tidy up their drinks and the cookies next morning but, right now, he had more important things to focus on.

Namely, the beautiful boy lying curled against his chest with pale arms wrapped tightly around Calum's shoulders, holding on for dear life.

They cleaned their teeth in companionable silence, both sitting on the edge of the bath tub with their thighs pressed warmly together as they brushed. Calum felt sticky and kind of gross but he didn't want to have another shower; he was too tired and Michael was too vulnerable right now. Calum didn't want to leave him on his own for even one minute.

"You ready for bed, baby boy?" Calum asked hesitantly and Michael nodded, sucking on his lower lip nervously as Calum stowed Michael's toothbrush beside his own and struggled to ignore how domestic it felt because this was neither the time nor the place.

"C'mon then, kitten," Calum murmured, entwining their fingers carefully as he gently led Michael towards his bedroom.

Calum pulled the corner of the duvet back for Michael and smiled when the younger boy immediately clambered in, pulling the duvet up to his chin and looking around the grey room owlishly as Calum quickly drew the curtains, flicking one of the lamps on and rummaging around for a clean pair of boxers to wear.

Michael's pale, tear-wet face lit up with a faint smile when the older man withdrew the koala toy from the plastic bag and Calum's chocolate brown eyes were soft as he climbed between the cool sheets too. Michael cuddled the koala toy tightly to his chest, burrowing closer under the duvet so that he could lie snuggled safe in Calum's arms. The dark-haired man turned the light out and, as the room was plunged into darkness, Michael's hand found Calum's.

"Thank you," the golden-haired boy breathed. "For always being there for me, Cally." Michael wriggled closer, stretching up to press a soft kiss to Calum's face. "You're lovely, you are." Michael was repeating Calum's words from the week before and it made the older man's heart ache.

"So are you, Mikey," Calum whispered, tangling their legs together carefully under the blankets as he cuddled Michael closer. "You get some sleep now, kitten, okay? I'll make us pancakes tomorrow morning and then we can have a nice shower, and you can get to know Mali and Tom a little better while I have my football game, yeah?"

"Yeah," Michael breathed and Calum could feel the younger boy's smile pressed against his neck. "Goodnight, Cal."

"Night, Mikey."

*

Michael's love for Calum burnt in his chest like a forest fire and, as he fell asleep that night with Calum's heartbeat pressed against his cheek, he thought Calum might love him too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Please let me know what you thought <3


	8. Kiss It Better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm sorry this took a little while but I haven't had much motivation to write lately.  
> I hope you'll enjoy this and if there's any mistakes then I'm sorry and I promise to fix them soon!  
> Enjoy <3

Michael went home two days later.

Calum worried about him and Karen said he didn’t have to if he wasn’t ready but, despite how uncertain he felt, Michael missed home. He missed his bed and his laptop, and his Xbox and his Playstation. He missed Teddy and his _mum_... and he missed his dad… and that was possibly the part that hurt him most.

His parents were waiting in the hall when Michael came back home on Monday morning and, for just a split second, Michael wished it wasn’t the school holidays. At least that way he would have had an excuse to leave the house but… no, even _Michael_ wasn’t that desperate. He’d just lock himself in his room instead and play video games until Calum came home from work or football training.

“Hey,” Michael said awkwardly as he shut the door behind him. He was dressed in one of Calum’s comforting-smelling jumpers over his usual ripped skinny jeans and the bracelet the older man had made him felt safe around his wrist.

Karen stepped forwards to wrap her arms warmly around him, pressing a soft kiss to Michael’s cheek as she cuddled him tightly.

“Hello, baby bear,” she murmured and Michael blinked back tears, giving her a gentle squeeze before he stepped away hesitantly, his cheeks staining red. Daryl was standing in the doorway to the living room, leaning heavily against the frame with something like hopelessness in his eyes. Michael watched him unblinkingly for several long moments before Teddy appeared to wind lovingly around the golden-haired boy’s ankles.

“Is this going to be a problem?” Michael asked at last and Daryl looked startled at having been addressed. His tired eyes widened before he seemed to shake himself at his wife’s disapproving expression.

“Of course not,” Daryl said and Michael pressed his lips together into a flat line, nodding slowly.

“Okay,” Michael said, shouldering his bag and starting for the stairs. “Right. Fine.”

*

Calum didn’t like not having Michael in the house.

He’d got so used to having the golden-haired boy there with him that it kind of _hurt_ to be separated from him now, especially when Calum knew his boyfriend might not feel welcome back home.

Despite it having been several days now, Calum still couldn’t shake how wrecked Michael had looked that evening when he staggered into Calum’s arms with tears streaming down his face and the reality of that hurt because, to Calum at least, it felt like looking at a past version of himself… the one who had fallen into Luke’s arms and crumbled to pieces because, at the time at least, he hadn’t felt like he had anything left.

Calum was so glad Michael had him.

He just wanted the younger boy to see how loved he was.

Ever since that first football game that Calum’s team had somehow managed to win, Michael’s smile had began to grow on his face again. His emerald eyes had sparkled and his lips had curved upwards like the sun breaking through the clouds, and Calum was _so_ in love.

Sometimes, when Michael looked at him with glittering eyes and gentle touches, Calum thought the younger boy could see it.

Michael was friends with Mali and Tom now too, and seeing it made Calum so happy. Michael already felt like family to him - not that he was planning on admitting that to anyone any time soon - and watching his boyfriend interact with his sister and best friends made Calum’s heart swell in his chest.

Michael was friends with all of them on Facebook now and Mali seemed to be using this new means of communication for the sole purpose of sending Michael kitten videos at every hour of the day, a fact which possibly made Calum even happier than a delighted Michael.

The younger boy was seeing more of Luke, Ashton and Bryana now and, despite Michael’s insistences that Luke was still annoying and not to be smiled at - Michael failed at this regularly, much to Calum’s fond amusement - they seemed to be growing on Michael too.

“Like a fungus,” Michael had said, causing Ashton to bat the younger boy around the head with his napkin on one of their outings to a milkshake bar in town that Bryana had just found.

Calum loved watching all of the people he cared about hanging out together. It made him happier than he’d ever been and he could see it reflected back at him in his boyfriend’s beautiful eyes.

Calum was doing his utmost to make Michael feel safe and special, and he was pretty sure he’d been doing a good job. Maybe _that_ was why letting him go this morning had been so difficult.

They were going back to the milkshake bar tonight actually. Calum was picking Michael up after dinner and he was going to drive him into town, and they were going to meet up with Calum’s friends - with _their_ friends now - and Calum was so happy.

When seven o’clock rolled around that evening, the dark-haired man could barely keep the smile off his face as he rang Michael’s doorbell. There was a tiny part of him that was anxious at the prospect of possibly seeing Daryl after everything that had come to light but most of Calum was just love and fierce pride for his wonderful boyfriend.

Michael pulled the door open and Calum barely had time to glimpse a strangely determined expression on the younger boy’s face before he was greeted with an armful of cuddly teenager and soft lips pressing lightly against his own.

Calum stumbled backwards a step but he was smiling so wide his eyes crinkled as he cuddled Michael tightly, dropping a kiss onto the younger boy’s head.

“I missed you,” Calum said and Michael smiled, looking surprisingly liberated as the older man tangled their fingers together hesitantly. Calum could see Daryl watching them with something like pain through the living room window but Karen’s expression was soft enough for two people and the dark-haired man made sure to smile at her as he led Michael back down the driveway.

“I missed you too,” the golden-haired boy said as Calum opened the car door for him. It was a warm evening and Michael looked relieved when Calum switched the engine on so they could open the windows. “I know it’s only been a day - well, _less_ than a day - but… I don’t know. I guess I just got so used to having you that close that…”

“That it kind of sucked when you weren’t,” Calum finished for him and Michael’s cheeks heated with blood as he smiled, nodding silently. Calum carded his fingers lightly through the younger boy’s hair before he focused on backing safely out of the driveway. “How was your day, Mikey? Were you… were you okay?”

Calum’s vision flickered and he remembered Michael gasping for breath with tears streaking down his cheeks and, almost like the younger boy could tell, he reached to squeeze his boyfriend’s knee reassuringly. It was too painful a memory to fade easily but Calum was glad Michael seemed to be a lot happier now.

“I’ve been okay,” Michael confirmed, deliberately nonchalant which made Calum’s stomach churn with something like unease. “I went for a long walk earlier while you were working. I was playing Pokemon Go.” Michael’s face suddenly lit up inexplicably. “I have this bruise on my chin now, see? Because I walked into a fence when I was hunting.”

“ _Hunting_ ,” Calum teased but his chocolate brown eyes were sparkling when Michael glanced up at him with an indulgent smile on his cherry-red lips. “Silly boy. Does it hurt? Are you okay?”

“I might need you to kiss it better when we get there,” Michael said with a serene smile on his lips as his emerald eyes glittered. “And, depending on how you look at it, it wasn’t even really worth it.”

“How come?” Calum asked as he navigated the car safely onto the high street that led into town. “Didn’t you catch anything exciting?”

Michael pulled an unimpressed face as he began to explain in a long-suffering voice: “Well... I got a couple of Pidgeotto. A Caterpie and a Seel - which I definitely didn’t name Seal Henry after the singer… not at all… - and then, like, some Charmander and a Rattata… and Pidgeys. So many fucking Pidgeys.”

“Gotta catch ‘em all,” Calum said, utterly deadpan. “Just not the fucking Pidgeys.”

Michael started giggling and Calum was glad for his stupid joke. Michael’s laughter made Calum feel like maybe everything was going to be okay after all and it made Calum feel more content than he could put into words.

Michael fell suddenly quiet though and, when Calum risked a glance over at the traffic lights, he saw that the golden-haired boy’s expression had sobered as he gazed back at Calum evenly.

“Home is… weird now,” Michael said quietly and Calum realised with a start that the younger boy was answering his question from earlier. Michael let his head fall to rest gently on Calum’s broad shoulder as they waited for the green light to show. “Dad kept trying to talk to me but… I just can’t face him right now, you know? And, like, mum wants me to give him a chance but… I just can’t bring myself to.”

Calum wanted to pull Michael into a hug but he settled for a quick squeeze with one arm before it was time to drive again. Michael looked like he needed a cuddle.

“Things will get better,” Calum promised, reaching to stroke the younger boy’s cheek gently with his fingertips before he focused on the junction they were approaching. “The fact that he still wants to speak to you… well, that can only be a positive, right? And… I guess he’ll realise how serious you are - how serious _we_ are - and… well, he’ll realise that he just has to accept that.”

Michael’s cheeks were red but he was smiling softly now as Calum drove into the car park, maneuvering easily into a space nearby that overlooked the promenade that edged the seafront.

“We’re that serious, huh?” Michael asked and, although Calum could tell the younger boy was teasing, it still set his heart thumping too fast in his chest. Their seatbelts being released sounded loud in the sudden quiet and Calum’s dark curls were tousled from driving with the windows open. Michael flattened them gently.

“Of course we are, baby boy,” Calum murmured, his voice thick as a lump threatened to rise in his throat at how damn perfect Michael was to him. The younger boy gazed up at him with soft green eyes and Calum’s heart squeezed with something like fear. “How I feel about you now, kitten… it doesn’t get more serious than that,” the dark-haired man admitted, his voice rough as he pressed his lips together hard.

Michael looked dazed now and his small hand was trembling as he cupped Calum’s cheek gently.

“And how _do_ you feel?” Michael whispered. Calum closed his eyes, turning his head to press a gentle kiss to the younger boy’s palm.

“I think you already know,” Calum breathed.

Michael’s expression was a heartbreaking mixture of sadness and happiness as Calum leant to draw him into a hug. Michael’s green eyes grew damp and he sniffed tearfully as he clung to his boyfriend tightly.

“I’m so lucky to have you,” Michael murmured, his voice thick with tears, and Calum cuddled him tighter as he pressed a soft kiss to the warm skin of his boyfriend’s neck.

“Not as lucky as I am to have you,” Calum countered.

Michael just smiled and drew him into a kiss.

*

The milkshake bar - which was called Liquid Heaven, much to Michael’s amusement - was located near the memorial gardens by the seafront. The gentle sound of the waves crashing against the beach followed them as Michael and Calum wandered along together, gazing out over the sunset as they headed towards where their friends were waiting for them outside.

Ashton was currently standing on a low stone wall outside the bar, adjusting the lens on his camera as he took a number of photos of the sunset. The skies were streaked with purple and red, and Bryana’s hair was shining like burnished gold as she danced forwards to draw the pair of them into a hug.

“Hello, sweethearts,” she said happily, her tanned arms warm around their shoulders as she kissed their cheeks. “How have you both been?” There was something slightly concerned in Bryana’s gaze as she brushed Michael’s cheek gently and Calum smiled apologetically when his boyfriend shot him a curious look. Calum wouldn’t feel bad for telling his best friends what had happened; Michael needed all of the love and support he could get right now.

“We’ve been good,” Michael said reassuringly, smiling up at her as Calum’s dimples creased his cheeks. Ashton looked up at the sound of their voices, smiling cheerfully as he loped over to them. Calum went to greet him and Bryana slipped her arm around Michael’s waist instead, laying her head gently against his as she smiled cheerfully.

“Is that a new shirt, Mikey? I love the colour! It looks so pretty on you!” Bryana grinned, giving his side a squeeze when Michael buried his bashful smile in her shoulder. Calum appeared beside them, arms winding around his boyfriend’s waist as he drew Michael gently back into his arms.

“You two having fun?” Calum asked, winking when he saw how red Michael’s cheeks had gone. Bryana smiled serenely as Ashton slung his arm around her shoulders.

“Just telling Michael how pretty he is in his new shirt,” she said and Calum’s smile softened as he dropped a kiss onto Michael’s cheek.

“Prettiest boy I ever saw,” the dark-haired man confirmed, making Ashton smile at Michael as the younger boy’s heart tried to escape from the confines of his chest. He was blushing now, little hands covering his pretty mouth as he smiled helplessly at Calum.

“Where’s Luke gone?” Bryana asked and Ashton rolled his eyes fondly as he pointed. The blond man was currently battling his way through a hedge nearby with his eyes glued to his screen, apparently playing Pokemon Go like Michael had been doing earlier in the day.

“Luke’s playing Pokemon?” Michael guessed and Ashton smirked, his expression wry as he nodded confirmation.

“Hey, Michael,” Luke said without looking up. “There’s a fucking _Dratini_ over here! You wanna catch it instead?”

“Sure!” Michael exclaimed, trying not to look ecstatic as he eased his phone out of his pocket and trotted across the grass eagerly behind the blond man.

Calum watched them go fondly before he and Bryana decided to secure a table once Ashton had taken their orders into the milkshake bar. It was a warm enough evening that they decided to stay outside and Calum felt happier than he had done in a long time as he sat beside one of his best friends, basking in the heady scent of roses wafting over from the gardens.

Michael and Luke were crowing excitedly now as they ran down a grassy slope nearby, laughing together as they tried to catch whatever had appeared down the hill, and Calum’s heart was swelling with love as he watched Michael throwing his head back to giggle, emerald eyes crinkling shut and golden hair messy in the breeze.

God, Calum’s love for Michael felt like a tangible thing now and maybe Bryana could feel it too because she was gazing at him fondly when the dark-haired man finally dragged his gaze away from his boyfriend.

“What?” Calum asked, aiming for defensive but just sounding vaguely self-conscious instead. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Bryana rolled her eyes fondly, reaching across the cool surface of the table to gently tangle their fingers together. Her brown eyes were soft and her blonde hair cascaded around her tanned shoulders, and Calum realised with no surprise at all that he adored her _just_ as much as Mali.

“Have you told Mike you’re in love with him?” Bryana asked softly, and Calum’s cheeks flamed as he looked between her and Michael with wide eyes.

“No! I… _no_.” Calum worried his bottom lip between his teeth, swallowing against the nervousness he could feel in his stomach. “I almost did earlier but… no.”

Bryana made a small, sympathetic sound, giving Calum’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

“You’ll find the right time soon, Cal,” the blonde woman said gently and he managed a weak smile. “I’m happy for you though. I was worried you might not feel that way...” Her voice trailed away delicately and Calum’s chocolate brown eyes softened as he followed her gaze to look at Michael.

He was beaming now, his expression delighted as he waved his phone triumphantly in the air. Luke was pretending to pout nearby but Michael’s joy proved infectious and the blond man soon pulled Michael into a half-hug, messing the younger boy’s hair up and dancing away with a bark of laughter when Michael threw a handful of dried grass at him, only to have it blow straight back into his face.

The fondness Calum felt then was almost _painful_.

“Just look at him, Bry,” Calum said softly, taking in Michael’s beautiful smiling face and the light twinkling in his clever green eyes. “How could I _not_ fall in love with him?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Please let me know what you thought :) <3


	9. Look Like A Princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry for the wait but I really hope you'll all enjoy this!  
> There's probably only around 3 chapters and the epilogue left now but I really hope you'll all like this!  
> Thanks for sticking around for so long <3
> 
> Charlotte, the nose kisses were for you.

With the sound of cheering still ringing in his ears, Calum ran off the pitch surrounded by his teammates, sweaty and exhausted but so happy that his smile made his face ache. The game had been one of their best yet and Calum couldn’t be prouder as he headed for the showers. The score had been 6-0 to them and the team had played amazingly well but Calum’s favourite moment by _far_ had been looking up to find Michael cheering excitedly in the stands.

Bryana had drawn a red heart on his cheek with her lipstick that perfectly mirrored the colour of Calum’s football shirt and it made the dark-haired man’s heart swell with love in his chest.

“I can’t believe we just _keep_ winning,” Luke said with something like awe in his voice as he bumped his elbow lightly into his best friend’s ribs. “You’re a fucking awesome captain, Cal. We couldn’t do this without you.”

Luke’s shirt was draped over his shoulders and he was giving one of their teammates the sort of hopeful look that Michael got sometimes when he was wearing new clothes around Calum. (Basically, Luke was like an overgrown but vaguely adorable puppy. Calum’s fondness may have shown on his face. Maybe.)

“Think your eyes are going to roll out of your head,” Calum said sweetly as they entered the changing rooms with the rest of the team. “Ten bucks you won’t ask Dales out for coffee.”

Luke’s blue eyes flashed but he fixed his sweetest smile on his face which did absolutely _nothing_ to prove his innocence.

“You’re on,” the blond man said but he was kind of smirking now as he raised his voice. “It’s so sunny outside, Calum! I’m going to get so burnt if I walk outside without a shirt on!” Brian looked up instantly and Calum bit the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing as he searched through his bag for his shower gel.

“It’s a good thing I have sun cream!” Luke continued and it was so obvious that Calum couldn’t hold in his laughter now. Brian was watching Luke with heart eyes and the blond man smiled like a cat who’d got the cream. “Brian, do you want to help me reach my back?” Luke asked cheerfully and the striker laughed, blushing as he slung an arm warmly around the taller man’s shoulders.

“Maybe if you buy me coffee afterwards, Hemmings.”

Luke beamed at him and, several moments later when he joined Calum in the shower room, the younger man was almost dancing with excitement.

“You owe me ten bucks, Calum,” Luke said firmly. “That still counts.”

*

“And Luke got Brian to ask him out?” Michael asked curiously. “Just like that?”

“Yep,” Calum confirmed, grinning when the golden-haired boy rolled his eyes fondly. “Just like that.”

It was a good few hours after the match now and the pair of them were lying tangled on the older man’s sofa, a warm blanket draped over them as the clock ticked towards ten o’clock and a film played on the TV.

They’d been dating for a good three months now and Karen didn’t have a problem with Michael sleeping over anymore. She was under no illusions about what they may or may not be getting up to - Michael was a terrible liar and it _pained_ him - but Karen trusted Calum and Michael was glad of it.

“This film is so cute,” Michael said softly as the scene played out onscreen. They were watching Blended and Michael was in love with it - probably because it had so many animals in although Calum might have been doing his boyfriend an injustice. “It’s honestly adorable, Cal. I’m actually offended by how cute it is.”

“I’m not,” Calum said, leaning to kiss Michael on the nose. “You keep smiling and trying to hide it under the blanket, kitten. It’s the cutest thing ever.”

“Shut up,” Michael said but he was going red now and his lips were curving up, and Calum was _so_ in love with him. Michael was lying curled up against his chest now, snuggled there in Calum’s arms in the pyjamas he’d started leaving at the older man’s house and… god, Calum never wanted him to _leave_.

The seventeen year old twisted in his arms, tucking his head away bashfully under Calum’s chin as he cuddled closer to his boyfriend. Calum was shirtless again - he was _always_ shirtless - and Michael smiled sleepily as he pressed a chaste kiss to the older man’s tattooed collarbone. Michael idly traced the flower tattooed into the tanned skin of Calum’s bicep with his fingertips and the dark-haired man followed the movement with his chocolate brown eyes, dropping a kiss onto his boyfriend’s soft golden hair.

Michael was still stroking the flower tattoo and it reminded Calum suddenly of their conversation that day in the kitchen, sitting with their feet brushing gently under the table as they timidly talked about Michael wanting to feel pretty.

Calum felt a small smile tugging at his full lips now and he glanced down, taking in the way Michael was watching him cautiously from under the blanket.

“What?” Michael asked weakly and Calum smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek.

“You remember that day we were talking in the kitchen, Mikey? About you liking to feel pretty?” the dark-haired man asked softly and Michael blushed, tucking his face out of sight. Calum’s expression softened as he raised the younger boy’s chin gently and Michael worried his bottom lip with his teeth, watching Calum with a mixture of embarrassment and _longing_.

“What about it?” Michael breathed and Calum stroked the younger boy’s cheek gently with the pad of his thumb, letting it catch on the corner of Michael’s lips. The golden-haired boy kissed it and Calum’s heart gave an unsteady little jerk in his chest.

“Well… I’ve been thinking about it kind of a lot,” Calum began and Michael’s cheeks were _flaming_ now but he was smiling a little too, and Calum started to get the feeling that maybe it had _only_ been Daryl’s influence making Michael feel guilty for feeling this way before.

Calum shook those thoughts away, kissing his boyfriend lightly on the forehead.

“I just wondered how you’d feel about… I don’t know… me maybe buying you something pretty to wear?” Calum’s voice was hesitant at best but his slight nervousness fell away when Michael’s face lit up as he nodded frantically. The younger boy pushed himself up so excitedly that he overbalanced and, in his bid to stop Michael from toppling onto the floor, Calum managed to fall off the sofa too. They landed on the carpet with a thump and Michael started giggling as soon as he could breathe again. Calum had twisted them luckily so he’d ended up hitting the ground first and he smiled up at Michael easily, dimples creasing his cheeks as he pulled a stupid face. Michael snorted with laughter, tucking his face away into his boyfriend’s neck as he wrestled him into a hug.

“I think you gave me a concussion,” Calum lied, rubbing the back of his head with one hand where he’d landed on the carpet. Michael stuck his tongue out, apparently unable to think of a response. Then the younger boy’s face softened and he kissed Calum chastely on the lips.

“You’re the best boyfriend ever, Cal,” Michael said quietly and the dark-haired man sobered, taking in the undeniable love on Michael’s face with a swooping feeling in his stomach.

“Not as great as you,” Calum said honestly before his face fell slightly. “And besides, kitten, if I was _that_ great then I’d be able to come to the shops with you to pick stuff out…”

“Oh,” Michael said, frowning faintly. “Then how…?”

Calum’s lazy smile crept back across his face again and Michael leant down to capture his boyfriend’s lips in a kiss, his small pale hands tilting Calum’s head as he settled more comfortably over him. When the kiss ended naturally, Michael snuggled closer again and Calum drew the younger boy into a gentle hug.

“It’ll all work out, kitten,” Calum promised as he carded his fingers lightly through the younger boy’s hair, making him smile contentedly. “I have football next Saturday but I didn’t want you to have to wait any longer than that.” When Michael looked up curiously, Calum gave him a soft smile that spread slowly across his face like melted caramel. “I know _just_ the person who can help.”

“You’re being all mysterious,” Michael said accusingly but Calum just beamed at him.

“Yep, I know,” he said cheerfully, glancing up towards the TV where the film was still playing, largely ignored now. “You want to go to bed now, baby boy?” Calum suggested and Michael smiled, teeth sinking into his cherry-red bottom lip as he nodded slowly, fingers entwining with Calum’s.

“Think I’d like that, Cal,” Michael said and, if the expression on the younger boy’s face hadn’t given his intentions away, his free hand sliding down to cover Calum’s hip would have done it. “Think I’d like that a lot.”

“You would, would you?” Calum asked teasingly but he grinned at the squeak Michael let out when the dark-haired man pulled his boyfriend up into his arms. “C’mon then, baby boy,” Calum said as he carried Michael towards the stairs. “Bedtime.”

Michael hid his smile in Calum’s neck but, twenty minutes later when they were sinking down onto the older man’s clean-smelling sheets, Michael was pressing kisses there instead. His fingers tangled in Calum’s dark curls and he sighed as his boyfriend deepened the kiss.

There was a soft rain falling outside and Michael was toasty warm in his pyjamas now, and everything felt safer and sweeter with Calum holding him close, cradling him like he was something precious.

Michael rolled closer to kiss him again, fingertips dipping into the older man’s dimples as Calum failed to suppress his smile. His tongue tasted like mint when he licked gently into Michael’s mouth, and the younger boy groaned when he felt Calum’s hand inching down between the warm press of their bodies to wrap around where their cocks were hard and leaking between them.

When the realisation that Michael was absolutely irrevocably in love with Calum sank in then, he almost told him.

Almost.

*

Saturday dawned bright and warm when Michael woke with his alarm, and his insides were a tangle of nervousness and excitement as he quickly got dressed into a loose sweatshirt over jeans. The pretty bracelet Calum had made for him so many months before was still looped around his wrist even now and Michael calmed a little when he caught sight of it.

He still wished Calum was coming with him today but they’d made other arrangements and Michael was planning on showing his boyfriend what he’d brought tomorrow - and besides, Michael was going to watch the football game later too. He’d get to see Calum after that.

There was a low knock on his bedroom door and Michael glanced over apprehensively before he berated himself for thinking that it would have been Daryl.

“It’s open,” he called and Karen appeared with a smile on her face, taking in the close-fitting purple t-shirt and black skinny jeans he was dressed in. His golden hair was soft against his forehead and Calum’s hoodie was tied loosely around his waist. She thought her son looked more like _himself_ these days and it made her happy. She just wished her husband felt the same… but Daryl was a very private person and even Karen couldn’t tell what he was thinking now.

“Hey, mum,” Michael said and she smiled at him as she shut the door behind her, cupping his cheek gently.

“Morning, baby bear,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure you’d seen the time. You’re getting picked up soon, aren’t you?” Michael nodded distractedly as he glanced towards the window, taking in the bright blue sky outside and wondering once again what Calum had planned.

“Yeah, my ride should be here in like twenty minutes I think,” Michael said and he looked so excited suddenly that Karen couldn’t resist teasing him fondly.

“And what exactly did you say Calum was buying you again?” she asked innocently and Michael spluttered, blushing an impressive crimson.

“Just stuff,” he mumbled, looking incredibly shifty. Karen fought down her smile with difficulty but, when Michael simply continued to flounder there - flushed bright red beneath his floppy hair - Karen took pity on him.

“Pink is a good colour on you, Mikey,” she said softly, gentle eyes twinkling. “Just so you know.”

Michael didn’t know how to respond to that so he just kissed her on the cheek and smiled gratefully as he shuffled out of the room.

Michael’s mum was _great._ He was just too awkward to appreciate it sometimes.

*

The doorbell rang ten minutes later, saving Michael from further embarrassment. He was still curious about who Calum had asked to help out but the golden-haired boy felt immediately stupid when he realised who it was.

“Morning, Mikey!” Bryana said happily once the front door was open, flinging her tanned arms warmly around the younger boy’s shoulders and enveloping Michael in a cloud of her sweet-smelling perfume. “Good morning, Mrs Clifford,” Bryana added when she saw Karen hovering by the stairs with an indulgent smile on her face. “I’ll buy Mikey lunch when we’re out, and we were planning to watch Calum and Luke’s football game with Ashton afterwards so Mikey will be out for a couple of hours - is that still okay?”

“That’s no problem at all, love,” Karen said, kissing Michael on the cheek and nudging him out of the door although she pressed twenty dollars into his hand with a wordless smile. “You make sure you have fun, Mikey, okay?” Karen prompted gently. “Try not to stress so much. Everything will work out.”

Michael rested his head on her shoulder briefly and she smiled as she nudged him lightly towards Bryana who wrapped an arm around his shoulders, ruffling his hair messily and making the seventeen year old grin as he escaped her clutches, throwing himself into the passenger seat.

“Eager?” Bryana asked teasingly and Michael went red.

“Hey, Bry,” he said with a bashful smile on his blushing face. “I’m guessing Cal told you what we were shopping for then?”

“Uh huh,” Bryana agreed cheerfully as she started the car, maneuvering them out onto the road and reaching across the gear shift to give Michael’s knee a gentle squeeze. “Cal gave us his credit card. We’re going to make you look like a _princess_ , Mikey.”

*

The shopping centre was bustling with people and Michael’s excitement only grew as Bryana dragged him into shop after shop. He was probably having the most fun he’d had all week; Bryana kept telling him how she found it _adorable_ that he liked looking cute and pretty, and Michael didn’t stop smiling for a very long time.

Bryana hadn’t made him feel bad once and Michael was so, _so_ happy.

She helped him pick out clothes - stuff subtle enough that he would be comfortable wearing it out and about on a usual day, and the sort of things that hopefully no one but Calum would _ever_ see. She helped him choose nail varnish and a few pieces of makeup too which Michael was excited to try out. He just couldn’t get over how _nice_ it felt not to be judged for feeling this way.

“Thank you for this,” Michael said softly and Bryana simply smiled warmly at him, giving his small hand a gentle squeeze.

“Think nothing of it, Mikey,” she said and it seemed like she meant it. “People shouldn’t make you feel bad about this at all. You’re just being _you_ and that’s beautiful.”

Michael ducked his head, his cheeks flushing red as he buried his smile in her shoulder.

“You’re a really good friend,” he said quietly and she grinned at him, dark eyes soft as she ran a hand through her long blonde hair.

“And you’re going to make me over-emotional in a shopping centre,” she countered, rolling her eyes fondly. “So quit it. Why don’t you go in that shop over there? You can pick out what you want and I’ll pay for it and you don’t even have to acknowledge that they’re yours if you don’t want to… okay?”

Michael followed her finger and flushed hottest yet because… because he could see _lingerie_ and other pretty stuff he didn’t even know the _names_ of and… and god, he wanted it so much but what if it was too weird? What if Calum freaked out or _Michael_ freaked out or they _both_ freaked out and they had to stop seeing each other and then Michael had to live next door to Calum and see him all the time but never _talk_ to him ever again and - and -

“ _Mike_ ,” Bryana said firmly, her hands settling on his shoulders as she let the shopping bags rest on the ground beside them. “Take a breath for me, love, okay? Stop overthinking everything. If Cal wasn’t into this then he totally wouldn’t have sent me out with you with the sole instruction of ‘ _buy him every single thing he wants because he’s beautiful and I just want him to be happy_ ,’ okay?”

Michael’s cheeks were pink now but he managed a weak smile down at their feet.

“Calum didn’t say that,” Michael mumbled and Bryana rolled her eyes, poking him lightly on the nose.

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Mikey,” she said and, below the teasing, the sincerity on her face _blazed_. “Now c’mon - you wanna go in there or not?” When Michael bit his lip and nodded shyly, a smile lit up Bryana’s face. “That’s great, Mikey,” she said encouragingly. “You know it’s okay, right? You don’t have to worry. If you want it then you can get it. That’s the rule today.”

“I think you might be one of the nicest people in the world,” Michael said honestly and Bryana’s laughter was like sunlight as it warmed him.

“I haven’t even bought you ice cream yet,” she said and Michael grinned as he followed her into the lingerie shop.

They didn’t leave for a very long time.

*

When they finally left the shopping centre after burgers and ice cream, they met Ashton waiting by the car with his camera. He’d been out on the beach today talking pictures for his portfolio and his honey-coloured curls were lightened from long days spent out in the sun.

“Hey, guys,” Ashton said warmly as the pair of them approached, weighed down with bags. “You have fun shopping?”

“ _So_ much fun,” Michael said happily and Bryana winked at him as they started to stow the bags in the boot. “Are we gonna go watch Cal and Luke now?”

“Sure we are,” Ashton said kindly, leaning over with a tissue he’d produced from his pocket to dab fondly at the corner of the golden-haired boy’s mouth. “You’ve got ice cream on your face, Mikey.”

“I was seeing how long it took him to notice,” Bryana said.

“I take back what I said about you being nice,” Michael lied, trying hard not to smile as his green eyes twinkled with happiness. “You suck, Bry.”

“She _really_ does,” Ashton said with a stupid wink, making Michael choke out surprised laughter.

Bryana smacked Ashton on the arm, trying _hard_ not to smile.

“We better leave now if we’re going to make it in time,” she said, pretending to glare at her boyfriend as she slid back into the driving seat. “Can’t leave Cal and Lukey waiting.”

*

They won the game again.

Michael didn’t know why it surprised him anymore because Calum was a _brilliant_ captain and the team were fantastic but the seventeen year old still cheered himself hoarse. Bryana had drawn lipstick hearts on Michael’s cheeks again and he was so excited as he watched the team running a victory lap around the pitch.

Calum broke away from the rest of the team as they started towards the changing rooms and Luke clapped his best friend on the shoulder as he watched him go. Calum ran across the grass and Ashton helped Michael climb over the barrier because he was too small to get over on his own, and then Calum was holding Michael and spinning him around in a circle, and Michael was laughing delightedly and scattering kisses all over his boyfriend’s face because: “You won! You won again, Cal! You _won_!”

Calum’s chocolate brown eyes were sparkling as he set his boyfriend carefully on his feet and the kiss he pressed to Michael’s nose made the younger boy giggle. The hearts on Michael’s cheeks were smudged and Calum’s curls were tousled in the warm breeze, and Michael’s heart felt lighter than it had done in a very long time as he drew his boyfriend into a tight hug because it felt like everything might _finally_ be okay again.

“You wanna go make out in your car now, Cal?” Michael asked innocently and the dark-haired man barked out a laugh, soft eyes crinkling as he pressed a gentle kiss to his boyfriend’s neck.

“Thought you were never gonna ask, kitten.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! :)  
> Please let me know what you thought <3


	10. Wake Up Happy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm so so so SO sorry it took me so long to update - believe it or not, I've been writing this one for about three weeks! But I finally did it! (And if there's tons of mistakes then I'll fix them later, I promise!)  
> Enjoy! :D

Michael had already nearly fallen in twice.

He was sitting perched precariously on the edge of the bath tub in his boxers and an oversized grey t-shirt of Calum’s, and he was kind of regretting having started this now. The razor kept falling into the lukewarm water because his fingers were slippery with soap and shaving his legs had seemed a _lot_ easier in theory.

In Michael’s defence, he really didn’t have any past experience though. He didn’t exactly have to shave his face yet since he still looked as unfortunately baby-faced as he had done when he was much younger but his legs hadn’t got that memo and it was something that had been bugging the seventeen year old for a while now.

The result? Hopefully smooth legs to go with the new lingerie Bryana had encouraged him to buy that day.

Michael chewed on his bottom lip worriedly as he drew the razor he’d stolen from the cupboard across his thigh but it looked a lot easier (and not to mention more effective) in the adverts on telly. Then again, that was probably because the models on screen were _already_ hairless which, now that Michael thought about it, seemed a little pointless actually…

Michael was sighing heavily by the time he started on the other leg and he simply hoped that Calum would appreciate this when Michael surprised him with it. The golden-haired boy was humming almost _cheerfully_ by the time he twisted to shave his knee.

Michael slipped clumsily and a low groan escaped him when he saw blood welling up on his pale skin. He felt stupid for having managed to cut himself but _mostly_ he just felt sick at the sight of it. He really, _really_ hated blood.

The door handle rattled behind him and Michael swallowed a curse word when he realised he hadn’t locked the door. He twisted to see who it was - hoping desperately that it would be Karen since she was much less likely to judge him - and Michael almost wasn’t even _surprised_ when he overbalanced, falling down rather painfully onto the bathmat as his dad stood framed in the doorway.

Michael’s heart sank like a stone in his chest when he saw his father’s blank expression and a lump rose in his throat when Daryl simply stared at him for a long, _long_ moment before leaving. Michael’s cheeks flushed and he felt terrible as he snatched some toilet roll from the holder, pressing a wad of it over the cut.

A minute passed where Michael simply focused on trying not to cry, so ashamed that Daryl had seen his only son like this when he already thought so poorly of him. At least, that was what Michael _assumed_ , at least until his dad reappeared in the doorway with a plaster held between his fingers and a surprisingly determined expression on his face.

Michael’s eyes welled with fresh tears when Daryl knelt down hesitantly beside him and he watched wordlessly as his father gently stuck the plaster over the little cut on Michael’s leg. The plaster was patterned with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Karen always complained because it was the only pack they had in the house and she often managed to nick herself cooking - and Michael exchanged a timid, watery smile with Daryl when the plaster was in place.

His dad left without a word and Michael watched him go, uncertain what to think as the lump in his throat refused to leave.

*

His parents were watching About A Boy when Michael finally went downstairs later that night. His legs felt smooth and alien under his pyjamas when he moved, and he still didn’t feel totally calm. The little cut on his leg was stinging beneath the plaster but Michael could barely feel it. He was too caught up in the tiny smile that had cautiously touched his father’s lips in the moments before Daryl had left.

Michael came to a hesitant stop in the doorway, bare feet warm on the carpet as he padded into the room. His parents were sitting on the sofa and the film was playing quietly on the screen, and his heart felt too big for his chest.

Neither of his parents were speaking but they were both watching their only son now, looking at him with what could only be described as hope, and for once Michael didn’t feel the urge to run.

He thought again of the plaster on his leg… of the gentle look in Daryl’s eyes like he was pleading for forgiveness… and, with a heart that felt lighter than it had done in a long time, Michael didn’t leave the room.

He didn’t sit on the sofa between his parents like he might have done once upon a time but he sat down on the floor in front of it, crossing his legs beneath him and marvelling at how _clean_ shaving made them feel; how smooth and _himself_ he felt under his pyjamas.

Michael leant back wearily against the sofa and, after a moment, Karen’s hand gripped his shoulder gently and Daryl’s fingers hesitantly carded through his son’s hair, and Michael figured he could live with this.

It felt like enough.

*

Calum woke up early on Sunday morning.

His body ached from the football game the day before but it was a good kind of pain because it made him feel alive.

His navy blue duvet was rumpled as it pooled around his bare waist but the air was warm and Calum felt content. Watery sunlight streaked across the grey painted walls like water colour paint and his spare pillow smelt comfortingly like fabric softener as Calum cuddled it to his chest, pretending it was Michael because cradling his boyfriend was his favourite way to fall asleep these days.

Calum reached for his phone from the bedside table and cleared the various notifications away before he opened a new message to Michael, beginning to type with a sleepy smile on his face.

‘ **Hey kitten :) I hope you wake up happy today. When you’re awake, let me know if you want to have breakfast with me? I want to spend every minute I can with you. You’re my favourite person in the world. X** ’

Calum might have been embarrassed of the message if his boyfriend hadn’t answered almost immediately with a resounding yes and an adorable flood of kissing emojis.

Calum dragged himself out of bed with a smile on his face, stumbling into the shower and washing his dark curls under the hot spray before he wandered off to find clothes. He felt a little better by the time he’d finished cleaning his teeth but he almost fell down the stairs in anticipation when the doorbell rang ten minutes later.

Michael was waiting for him on the front step, a shy smile tugging at his cherry-red lips as he carded a hand nervously through his golden hair, leaving it sticking up messily. Calum cupped his boyfriend’s cheeks gently, drawing him unthinkingly into a soft kiss that Michael hummed contentedly into.

“I missed you,” Michael said and, even though it had only been one night since they’d last seen each other, Calum thought he knew exactly what the younger boy meant.

“I missed you too,” Calum said honestly but his face lit up when Michael beamed at him. There was a trace of excitement burning in the younger boy’s eyes and Calum felt faintly confused for a moment before he remembered what Michael had spent the previous morning purchasing with their friend.

“Did you bring the things you brought with Bryana yesterday?” Calum asked innocently and Michael’s cheeks flamed scarlet as he smiled down at their feet.

“Maybe,” Michael said but his grin was audible in his words and Calum smiled as he looped his arm warmly around the younger boy’s waist, leading him into the warm hallway. “Thank you for that by the way. That was… very, _very_ nice of you.”

“It’s the least I can do for someone as lovely as you,” Calum said with a shrug, smiling fondly when Michael hopped around while he removed his trainers. His coat was flung unceremoniously over the older man’s banister to reveal a jumper hanging down to mid-thigh and Calum smiled when he saw the familiar leather bracelet looped around his boyfriend’s wrist; he was glad Michael still wore it even after all this time.

“What were you planning for breakfast?” the seventeen year old piped up hopefully and he couldn’t hold his giggles in when he saw Calum look momentarily stunned. Apparently his boyfriend hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“You suck,” Michael said fondly, rolling his emerald green eyes when Calum stuck his tongue out at him. “You want pancakes, Cal? I can make us pancakes?”

“You’re the best ever,” Calum said seriously, his chocolate brown eyes sparkling as he smiled his crinkly smile, leaning back in his chair with his dimples creasing his cheeks. The unexpected beauty of him took Michael’s breath away and the younger boy found it hard to tear his gaze away as he turned to rummage in the fridge, searching for ingredients.

“Blueberry pancakes?” Michael suggested when he found a package in the fridge. Calum beamed at him, his dark eyes twinkling teasingly.

“This just confirms it, kitten,” the dark-haired man said with a grin. “I really _will_ have to marry you now. You’re making me pancakes.”

Michael giggled at that but his eyes were wide as he started to pour the dry ingredients into a bowl. There was no disagreement from him this time; only a dull blush colouring his cheeks and his heart pounding in his chest as he realised that those words - teasing or not - were actually incredible welcome.

Michael was smiling softly as he began to whisk the mixture together, a gentle stunned twist to his lips as he heard Calum let out a tiny gasp behind him, like he hadn’t quite meant to let the words slip out.

The knowledge that Calum really, _truly_ cared about him made Michael feel so relieved that he almost felt dizzy now and it was all he could do to focus on not spilling milk all over the counter as he added it carefully with the eggs. Calum’s words washed over Michael like sunlight sinking into his skin.

“I think I could live with that,” Michael said once he was sure his voice would be steady. There was a moment of surprised silence before Calum made a small contented humming noise, rising fluidly to plaster himself against the younger boy’s back instead. Calum looped his muscular arms warmly around Michael and pressed a soft kiss to the younger boy’s shoulder, and Michael leant back into his boyfriend’s warmth with a happy smile on his face as he added the butter and began to fold the blueberries into the mixture.

“You’re amazing,” Calum whispered, his full lips brushing Michael’s blushing cheek as the younger boy smiled calmly, focusing on his task. “You’re the best boyfriend in the world, kitten. You make me so happy.”

Michael tilted his head back to kiss Calum on the underside of the jaw and the older man smiled at him with what could only be described as adoration, his dark curls falling across his forehead as he kissed Michael on the nose.

“You’re cute,” Michael said in answer, because he was too flustered to filter his sentences properly now. “I like your nose and your eyes and your laugh. I like _you_ , Cally. You’re my favourite human ever probably. You make me smile when nothing else does.”

Calum’s eyes got all sparkly with tears and he mumbled his excuses, returning to sit sniffling at the table while Michael started pouring the batter into a frying pan, his cheeks flushed and his smile curving unconsciously across his lips.

The love in the younger boy’s chest hurt to breathe past but Michael wouldn’t have had it any other way.

When he looked at Calum’s beautiful eyes gazing back at him, he knew his boyfriend felt the same way… and maybe - just maybe - Michael was almost ready to tell him.

*

The rest of the morning passed slowly and Calum’s feeling of contentment only grew when the pair of them decided to watch a film upstairs. The dark-haired man’s heart quickened in his chest as he led Michael upstairs and he could feel his boyfriend’s pulse racing in his veins where Calum was holding the younger boy’s wrist gently.

They slumped down onto the bed together and Calum let out a relaxed sigh when Michael curled up against his chest, facing away from his boyfriend although he was still pressing back into the older man’s warmth.

“What film do you want to watch?” Calum asked hesitantly, stroking Michael’s tummy gently through the big cream coloured jumper the younger boy was wearing. Michael shuddered almost unnoticeably as he snuggled closer.

“I lied,” the younger boy whispered, biting his bottom lip hard when he felt Calum nosing the stretched-out neck of his jumper aside so that he could kiss his boyfriend’s throat. “I don’t want to watch a film at all. I just want to make out with you a lot. Do you think we could do that instead, Cal?”

Calum hid his smile in Michael’s neck when the younger boy turned in his arms, snuggling closer.

“I think that would be amazing,” Calum said honestly but he was grinning now and it was making butterflies erupt in Michael’s stomach as he let his cheek fall to rest lightly against his boyfriend’s shoulder. Calum kissed his soft golden hair and Michael fisted his small hands in the back of the older man’s t-shirt, holding him closer.

Calum’s full lips were soft when they pressed lightly against his boyfriend’s and Michael’s fingers rose to tangle in the older man’s dark curls. The younger boy's warm lips parted and he hummed into the kiss, smiling faintly when the older man sighed contentedly against him. Calum’s skin was soft under Michael’s fingertips and the younger boy whined softly when the older man’s tongue stroked hot against his own. It made goosebumps break out on the younger boy’s skin and Michael squirmed, shuddering at the lust unfurling inside him as Calum drew back with a shaky breath, gazing down at his boyfriend with undeniable love burning in his eyes.

Calum’s dark curls were messy and his kiss-swollen lips tugged into a slight smirk as he tilted his head to one side, watching Michael curiously as the younger boy struggled to regain control of his breathing.

“ _So_...” Calum said in a smooth voice like melted chocolate. “What new things _did_ you buy yesterday, kitten?”

Michael’s cheeks heated and he bit his bottom lip softly, shifting so that his thigh nudged against where Calum was hard pressed against his hip. The older man’s breath stuttered out of him in a broken gasp and a tiny smile curved Michael’s lips as his fingers pressed into his boyfriend’s muscular shoulders.

“Well,” Michael said slowly, making his voice purposefully thoughtful like he _wasn’t_ achingly hard in his jeans. “This jumper is new.” He was speaking in barely a whisper now, his voice rougher with lust. “So are these jeans.” Michael bit back a moan as his eyes fluttered shut when Calum’s hands slipped down to grip the younger boy’s arse firmly.

“So are what’s underneath them,” Michael breathed and Calum sucked his moan into the younger boy’s throat, bruising the pale skin as Michael arched up against him, a desperate whine clawing its way out into the warm air.

“Figured you might like them, Cal,” Michael murmured when he could breathe again and Calum felt something hot shudder through him as he processed his boyfriend’s words. The older man swallowed thickly as he struggled to calm himself, hands rising so that he could smooth his palms soothingly over the younger boy’s back beneath his jumper.

“You want to show me what you’re wearing under there, kitten?” Calum murmured and Michael moaned softly, tucking his face away into Calum’s neck as he pressed a hot kiss to the skin there.

“Yeah,” Michael gasped out, cheeks hot enough that he felt like he was about to ignite now, lust and excitement burning through his body like wildfire. “But… you gotta take your stuff off too, okay?”

Calum’s expression softened at the tiny trace of nervousness he could see blossoming on Michael’s blushing face and he kissed the younger boy lightly on the cheek, letting his forehead rest against Michael’s for a moment.

“Of course I will, Mikey,” Calum said reassuringly, stroking the younger boy’s hair back gently from his forehead. “You’re safe, okay? It’s just us and… fuck, you’re so  _beautiful_. We’ll only ever do what you want, okay? I promise.”

“Yeah,” Michael murmured before hesitating as he bit his lip. “Thank you for being you, Cal,” he said quietly, leaning up to kiss his boyfriend on the lips. It was gentler now, softer. It made Calum’s heart swell in his chest as he cupped Michael’s cheeks gently and the younger boy blushed, smiling up at Calum before he pushed him back lightly.

“Clothes off?” Calum asked innocently and Michael bit back a smile with difficulty, rolling his eyes in a failed attempt to hide his fondness.

“Clothes off,” Michael confirmed.

A soft giggle escaped him when Calum immediately struggled out of his t-shirt, getting it caught around his head for a moment before he emerged with his curls in utter disarray, and Michael briefly considered fixing them before he decided that it was pointless; he was planning to mess them up soon enough anyway so what was the point?

Michael wriggled out of his jeans easily enough and Calum’s soft groan when he saw the thigh high socks the younger boy was wearing made a tiny smirk curve Michael’s cherry-red lips. The thigh highs were white with frilly pink lace edging them and Michael fiddled with the hem of his oversized jumper, stretching the cream material down so that the pretty lace underwear he was wearing were momentarily hidden.

Calum was watching Michael with dark eyes now, taking in his soft pale skin and the way he was worrying his bottom lip between his teeth as he glanced up at his boyfriend through long eyelashes. Calum reached out hesitantly, tanned hand trembling the tiniest bit as he settled his palm on the bare skin of Michael’s thigh, warm and reassuring.

“You want to leave your jumper on, kitten?” Calum asked softly, leaning forwards to scatter kisses across the underside of the younger boy’s jaw when Michael sank back down onto the pillows with a satisfied smile. Calum’s teeth grazed lightly over his boyfriend’s throat and Michael whined when he felt the older man sucking a bruise into his collarbone. Michael curled his fingers through Calum’s dark hair, groaning as he began to harden in his underwear when he felt his boyfriend’s mouth dragging hot over his throat. Michael pulled Calum away gently, fighting to calm his breathing when the older man looked down at him with a small smirk.

“I’m gonna take it off,” Michael said and Calum's expression became surprised. The younger boy just shrugged bashfully, smiling shyly up at him without a trace of indecision on his face. Michael knew Calum accepted him the way he was - hell, Calum seemed to _love_ his body - and Michael wanted to feel that way too… and honestly, this seemed like a good way to start.

“I trust you,” Michael said with a shrug. “Also there’s something else I haven’t shown you yet and this jumper is kind of getting in the way so…”

“Oh?” Calum tilted his head to one side curiously, his pupils blown now although the chocolate brown was still twinkling with fondness. “Go ahead then, baby boy.”

Michael was blushing as he slipped the jumper carefully over his head and he looked away shyly when Calum’s jaw dropped. The older man reached for his boyfriend slowly, pressing his lips together hard to keep his moan in as he dragged his gaze away from the pretty lace underwear that was doing a pretty terrible job of covering Michael up.

“Kitten?” Calum’s voice was rougher now and he was obviously turned on. Michael’s cheeks flushed darker as Calum caught the younger boy’s hands gently in one of his own before he could cover his tummy up. “Mikey?” Calum raised his boyfriend’s chin gently with his finger and Michael kissed the tip, cherry-red lips soft against Calum’s skin.

“Do I look stupid?” Michael whispered and the older man’s chocolate brown eyes softened as he leant to kiss the worried expression from Michael’s face with a soft groan.

“You look beautiful,” Calum promised and the sincerity blazed in his eyes. “I mean it, kitten. You’re fucking _hot_.” Michael blushed again but he was smiling this time and Calum grinned, dimples creasing his cheeks as his hand settled gently on the younger boy’s thigh. Michael bit his lip again and Calum didn’t realise why at first until he processed quite how _soft_ the younger boy’s skin felt because -

“You shaved?” Calum groaned, cupping the younger boy’s face in his hands shakily and drawing him in for a warm kiss. “ _Fuck_ , Mikey, you’re incredible.”

Michael sank back onto the bed with a blissful smile on his face and Calum followed him, settling down warm over his boyfriend as he pressed a hot kiss to the underside of his boyfriend’s jaw.

“What do you want me to do, baby boy?” Calum murmured and Michael shivered as he felt his boyfriend’s hot breath ghosting over the sensitive skin of his throat. For a moment, his mind flashed back to that night on Calum’s sofa when everything was melting away into pleasure as Calum’s fingertip stroked over him and…

“ _Oh_ ,” Michael breathed, his cheeks flaming now as he looked up at Calum with dark eyes, his pupils blown. “I think I might know what I want,” he admitted and the dark-haired man smiled encouragingly, his head tilted to the side curiously as Michael leant closer.

“What is it, kitten?” Calum whispered and Michael’s cheeks burnt hotter as he looked down, biting his bottom lip nervously.

“I… I want you to…” His voice trailed away nervously but he took Calum’s hand gently in his own, playing with the older man’s fingers as he glanced up through his eyelashes at his boyfriend. Calum looked puzzled for a moment but, when Michael looked very deliberately down at them before looking up again, he saw the colour rising in Calum’s cheeks as he dropped his head, a soft groan escaping him.

“You want me to finger you, baby boy?” he murmured and Michael moaned, nodding frantically as his pale arms wrapped warmly around Calum’s bare shoulders. The dark-haired man grinned, carding Michael’s hair gently back from his forehead as he took in how beautiful his boyfriend was.

“Please,” Michael whispered and Calum stroked his cheek gently, leaning forwards to press a gentle kiss to his boyfriend’s shoulder before he sat up again. Calum reached towards the drawer where he kept his lube but hesitated, glancing back towards Michael with something cautious in his dark eyes. Michael smiled faintly, fingers curling loosely around Calum’s tattooed wrist for a moment.

“I really do want this,” Michael said softly, trying to pretend that his cheeks _weren’t_ flaming scarlet. “And anyway, it’s hardly like you’re deflowering me or whatever stupid shit you’re thinking.” Michael grimaced, turning away to hide his embarrassed smile in the pillow. “I tried stuff before you came along - you know that, right? I just… wasn’t very good at it.”

Calum laughed softly but the sound was distinctly relieved and so fond that Michael realised he didn’t feel embarrassed after all.

“Bet I can do a better job,” Calum said and the confidence in his tone had Michael’s stomach doing excited little somersaults as he felt his underwear clinging tightly to him as he grew harder. There were two points of colour high in the younger boy’s cheeks now and Michael’s hips shifted of their own accord as he searched blindly for friction.

“You think you’re that good?” Michael asked curiously, fighting to keep the excitement out of his voice as his emerald eyes sparkled. Calum’s smile only grew.

“There’s only one way to find out,” he said with a casual little shrug that made Michael groan softly. “Better prove I’m not just lying to impress you, right?”

Michael pressed his cherry-red lips together firmly, not trusting himself not to moan at the smirk on Calum’s beautiful face. His dark curls were tumbling across his forehead as he took the lube from the drawer and Michael’s heart threatened to beat right out of his chest with excitement.

“Yeah,” the golden-haired boy whispered when he was sure his voice would be steady. “Yeah, Cal. Show me what you’ve got then.”

Calum nudged Michael until he was settled more comfortably on the bed but the younger boy’s eyes widened when his boyfriend carefully pushed a pillow under his hips. Calum’s expression softened at the trust on Michael’s face and he decided then that he was going to make this as special as he could.

He’d never loved someone the way he loved Michael before and Calum would do everything in his power not to lose him.

“You wanna keep these on?” Calum asked, letting his fingertip stroke down the hard line of Michael’s cock where it was leaking inside his underwear. The younger boy shuddered, pressing his head back into the pillows as his hips jerked a little at the contact.

“No,” Michael mumbled when Calum’s hands drifted to stroke his pale thighs instead, his palms warm through the smooth material of the socks. “Don’t wanna ruin them.”

“Good idea,” Calum said but he was still caressing the inside of Michael’s thighs, his fingertips brushing just high enough that Michael could barely hold in his whines anymore. “And you’ll still have these on anyway of course,” Calum said, indicating the frilly pink lace edging the socks. “Those are more than pretty enough.”

“Thank you,” Michael murmured but Calum ducked his head shyly, pressing a soft kiss to his boyfriend’s lips before he helped him carefully ease the silky underwear off without stretching it. Calum moaned when he looked up, taking in Michael’s hard cock as it lay leaking against his tummy, flushed a pretty pink that made Calum swallow audibly. He shook himself to clear his head and Michael’s lips twitched into a fond smile although his eyes quickly grew dark when Calum uncapped the lube, coating his finger with it. Michael’s toes were curling with anticipation now and Calum saw the neediness in his eyes for what it was.

“I’ve got you, Mikey,” he whispered and then words weren’t necessary anymore.

Michael’s lips fell open around a low groan when Calum’s lube-wet finger stroked over his hole and his hands scrabbled frantically over the older man’s broad shoulders when Calum pressed his fingertip in gently. Michael’s pupils were blown in the moments before his eyes slid shut and Calum pressed his smile into the sensitive skin of his boyfriend’s neck, his teeth scraping lightly over the skin as Michael pressed his head back into the pillows.

“You okay, kitten?” Calum whispered, drawing his finger back carefully so that he was circling the younger boy’s hole instead. Michael’s hips jerked and he shuddered, his cock dribbling pre-cum as he fluttered at the featherlight touch.

“ _Yes_ , Cally, _please_ ,” Michael said imploringly and the dark-haired man smiled against his boyfriend’s soft hair, apparently relieved as his fingertip returned to Michael’s hole, stroking teasingly over the delicate pink skin as the younger boy’s breath rasped out of him in a desperate groan.

“Please,” Michael breathed and Calum leant down to kiss him as he pressed his finger in again. The younger boy gasped raggedly as heat washed over him and Calum couldn’t resist the tiny, smug little smile curving his lips as Michael moaned.

Calum’s finger sank in deeper and the golden-haired boy’s cock throbbed against his stomach when he felt Calum’s knuckles brushing his overheated skin. A soft whine was building in his throat now and he felt the blush colouring his cheeks when the dark-haired man started to fuck his finger slowly into Michael.

“Oh _god_ , Cal!” The younger boy couldn’t keep his moans in anymore but his boyfriend’s eyes were so soft that Michael let it comfort him as the heat in his stomach coiled tighter. His cock was achingly hard and Calum’s finger was fucking into him so good that Michael couldn’t get enough of it, rocking his hips back desperately as he spread his legs further. These little whimpering noises were escaping Michael with every thrust of the older man’s finger and he was sure they made him sound stupid but Calum was staring at his boyfriend like Michael was all he’d ever wanted.

When Calum curled his finger a little and brushed the younger boy’s prostate, Michael began to fall apart. A broken sob tore out of him as pre-cum spurted out over his soft tummy and the hot open-mouthed kisses he pressed to his boyfriend’s tattooed collarbone made Calum rut subconsciously against his boyfriend’s pale thigh, his cock leaking inside his boxers.

Calum’s fingertip was brushing Michael’s prostate with every thrust now and the younger boy was sobbing into his neck at how good it felt. His moans became choked when the dark-haired man wrapped his fingers gently around the younger boy’s cock and Michael whined, taking in how leaking and flushed he looked in Calum’s tanned fist as his eyes blurred with tears.

“You’re so beautiful, kitten,” Calum whispered, his chocolate brown eyes crinkling as his dimples creased his cheeks. The golden-haired boy’s cherry-red lips parted around a soft moan and Calum’s expression softened as he stroked the pink lace circling Michael’s pale thighs. “So lovely, Mikey. You look like a _princess_. My favourite boy in the world.”

Michael fell apart with a strangled whine, clenching rhythmically around the older man’s finger as Calum slowly stroked him through it. The dark-haired man kissed the tears away from Michael’s flaming cheeks as the younger boy groaned at the cum spilling onto his tummy, his golden hair sticking to his forehead as his chest heaved. Calum carefully withdrew his finger, not wanting to hurt Michael if he was feeling oversensitive.

“Good?” Calum asked gently and Michael gave him a lazy smile as he stretched up to kiss his boyfriend gratefully.

“ _So_ good,” Michael said and Calum hid his happy smile in the younger boy’s bare shoulder as he pressed a soft kiss to the warm skin there.

“So you don’t think it was all just talk?” Calum asked innocently when he raised his head and Michael huffed, shoving his boyfriend’s shoulder weakly as the older man barked out a delighted laugh.

“Not even a little bit,” Michael admitted, fighting a smile. “Now would you like me to do something about that?” he asked, green eyes flickering down to where Calum was tenting in his boxers.

“Oh,” Calum breathed, looking taken by surprise which made Michael feel bad. He hadn’t done very much to help his boyfriend get off before and he was determined to change that today. “Only if you’re sure, kitten,” the dark-haired man said after a moment but he was biting his lip now and his eyes were twinkling like he _knew_ what he did to his boyfriend.

“I’m sure,” Michael promised and Calum hummed happily as he slumped down onto his back, arms wrapping warmly around his boyfriend’s waist as he tugged Michael down on top of him. The younger boy giggled as he straddled Calum’s knees, all hot bare skin that only served to make the older man harder, and Michael bit his smiling bottom lip as he eased the older man’s jeans and dark blue boxers down his tanned thighs.

“Gonna take care of you, Cal,” Michael whispered and Calum grinned at him, darks curls falling across his forehead, tattoos decorating his warm skin. God, Michael was so lucky to have him.

Calum’s cock was hot in Michael’s hand as he drew his fist up it clumsily and the older man groaned, eyes fluttering shut as his hips rocked up into his boyfriend’s fist. Michael shivered as he saw the goosebumps rising on Calum’s skin, watched the lust saturating the older man’s expression as his cock leaked over Michael’s fingers.

The younger boy’s movements were fumbling at best but Calum had never cared about anything less. All he could focus on was the endearing concentration on Michael’s face as his fingers rolled teasingly over the head of Calum’s cock.

The dark-haired man moaned when he felt Michael’s free hand trailing over his warm skin. Calum’s cock was throbbing now and he might have been embarrassed at how quickly he was falling apart if he hadn’t noticed that Michael was getting hard again. The younger boy’s fingertips brushed teasingly over his nipples and Calum’s surprised moan caught in his throat when the younger boy leant closer to suck a kiss into his neck.

“ _Kitten_ ,” Calum moaned, muscles clenching under Michael’s heavy gaze as his breath started to tear out of him in pants. “Baby boy, _fuck_.” Calum squeezed his eyes shut, his eyelashes fanning out on his cheeks as he choked out a whimper into the pillow. “Baby, _please_.”

Michael tightened his grip, letting his thumb catch in the slit as Calum arched his back, cum spilling hot over Michael’s fingers which only made the younger boy _harder_. Michael hid his triumphant smile as the heat in his stomach began to coil tighter, stretching to scatter soft kisses to the underside of the older man’s jaw as Calum’s breathing slowly calmed.

His dark eyes fluttered open after a long moment and he smiled tiredly, reaching up to brush Michael’s cheek gently with the pad of his thumb.

“Hey, Mikey,” Calum mumbled and Michael grinned, turning his head to kiss his boyfriend’s palm with a gentle brush of his lips.

“Hey, Cal,” he said softly. “You wanna have a bath with me? Get cleaned up?”

Calum stretched out leisurely on the bed, a happy smile curving his lips as he relaxed back onto the warm sheets.

“I’d like that,” he said but his gaze flickered down to where Michael’s cock was hard once more and he tilted his head to one side, smirking slightly in a way that made Michael get butterflies.

“Oh, to have the stamina of a teenager again,” the dark-haired man said teasingly and Michael rolled his eyes, huffing out a laugh as he let his forehead fall to rest against his boyfriend’s shoulder.

“Calum, you’re literally twenty years old,” Michael sniggered but his cheeks were still stained red and Calum grinned as he sat up quickly, catching Michael around the waist before the younger boy could fall backwards. Their tummies pressed warmly together and Michael groaned.

“There’s cum all over me,” he said plaintively but Calum just grinned, dropping a kiss onto the younger boy’s nose.

“As if that bothers you,” Calum said and Michael grinned, letting out an excited squeak when the dark-haired man scooped him up into his arms as he got to his feet. “Right, kitten. It’s bathtime.”

Calum deposited Michael on the edge of the bath while he began to run the water and the younger boy smiled shyly, glancing down at himself and taking in how flushed his half-hard cock was as he reached out to poke Calum lightly in the thigh with his toes. The dark-haired man giggled and the sound made Michael’s heart melt in his chest.

Calum climbed in and turned to give his boyfriend his arm, and Michael was still all warm and relaxed when Calum helped him sink down into the hot water, almost distracted from his arousal until he processed quite how muscular the older man felt against him. Michael groaned, abruptly turned on again as the dark-haired man’s fingertips danced across his soft tummy.

Calum trailed kisses over the younger boy’s pale shoulders and Michael whined at how oversensitive he felt as his boyfriend's fingers wrapped firmly around his cock. Michael was flinching at the contact but it felt so good that he couldn’t even focus enough on holding himself out of the water. Calum’s well-muscled arm wrapped warm around his chest and the golden-haired boy clung to him, nails digging into the tattooed skin as his hips rocked forwards. Michael was making sounds like he was crying now but he didn’t even _care_ ; Calum made him feel too good.

“ _G-god_ , I think I love you,” Michael choked out, voice cracking as he came. Calum pressed his lips together hard against the sudden lump rising in his throat, his expression softening when the younger boy immediately dropped his face into his hands in embarrassment.

“It’s okay, Mikey,” Calum murmured, his tone reassuring as he pressed a soft kiss to the back of the younger boy’s neck. Michael’s emerald eyes were welling with tears now and Calum cuddled him closer. “I’m pretty sure I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! :)  
> Please let me know what you thought <3


	11. It’s You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm sorry this took so long to update but I worked really hard on it and I hope you'll like it!  
> Enjoy! :D

The sky was lilac overhead as Calum ran through the early evening. He could smell eucalyptus on the breeze; could hear the soft crashing of waves rolling against the beach. The promenade was strung with little twinkling lights and Calum knew Michael would have appreciated the beauty of it but Calum was too caught up in his head to feel the same.

His parents had called him up again the night before when he’d been lying on his sofa with Michael. He hadn’t wanted to answer the phone – actually, he’d threatened to throw it right out of the living room window – but Michael just looked at him with soft green eyes, cradling Calum’s feet in his lap as the older man watched him hopelessly.

When Michael had quietly asked Calum to give them a chance, Calum had listened.

He’d felt positive about it at the time; calm and closer to happy because his parents didn’t seem to hate him anymore. They were more accepting and, abruptly, Calum remembered that day in the garden with his sister. She’d insisted that they must still care about him and miss him to keep calling and, finally, Calum realised she might be right.

He didn’t forgive them for making him feel so unwanted – privately, Calum didn’t think maybe he ever _would_ – but they could move past it. Calum didn’t want to lose them forever.

Watching how Michael interacted with his mum – and how his dad was slowly warming to the idea of them too – had made Calum feel more lonely than ever so the prospect of being able to salvage some of their relationship was too precious to just cast aside now out of stubbornness.

He’d called Luke once Michael had gone home and the younger man had come round for some beers, and they’d sat together on the back porch beneath the stars and discussed it at length. Luke thought it was a good thing and, slowly, Calum had warmed to the idea.

If his boyfriend _and_ his best friend thought he should give them a second chance, Calum figured it was probably the right thing to do. Michael and Luke made him a better man.

The decision still didn’t sit completely easily with Calum though; he still felt uncertain and insecure about it, and he hated how much it had thrown him. Getting in touch with his parents had made him feel _young_ and it was an unpleasant sensation.

Calum was anxious by the time he got home from his run but he busied himself taking a shower and washing his hair, and he _almost_ felt okay by the time he padded into his room to find his pyjamas. His phone screen lit up with a text message and Calum’s chocolate brown eyes crinkled when he saw who the text was from. Mikey flashed up on screen with a little cat emoji beside it, and Calum couldn’t help but smile when he read the text: ‘ **Hey Cally, can I stay over tonight please? I miss your hugs (and your face (and you)). ^_^ xxx** ’

Calum laughed as he replied with a resounding yes and the sound took him by surprise; he hadn’t realised how down he’d felt until the feeling was replaced with happiness. Calum shook his head ruefully as he headed down the stairs, reaching the front door just as Michael knocked on the other side. Calum pulled it open and Michael jumped at how fast it had happened, and then the younger boy smiled as Calum ducked his head shyly.

“Hello, you,” Michael said, hand rising to cup his boyfriend’s cheek gently. Calum kissed his palm and Michael blushed faintly. “Are you okay?”

“Better for seeing you,” Calum said honestly.

Michael seemed to know that there had been something wrong before he even walked into the house and his expression was soft beneath his golden hair. His green eyes were knowing as he drew his boyfriend into a gentle hug and for the first time Calum was struck with the knowledge that the younger boy was growing up.

Calum couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed it before.

“Let’s go inside, Mikey,” Calum said, dropping a soft kiss onto the younger boy’s cute little nose. “It’s getting cold out here.”

*

The evening passed quickly and, although Calum was doing his best to be cheerful, Michael could see he was struggling. The younger boy got to his feet and, when Calum looked up at him in confusion, Michael gave him a wry smile and reached to tangle their fingers together.

“We’re going upstairs?” Calum asked hopefully and Michael rolled his eyes fondly, his expression good-natured as he pulled Calum off the sofa.

“We are,” Michael confirmed. “I’m going to distract you.”

Calum made a small sound of confusion but Michael didn’t comment for now, instead simply focusing on leading the older man towards his bedroom and trying not to trip over his own feet on the way up the stairs as butterflies started to flutter in his stomach.

Calum flopped down easily onto the bed, his t-shirt rising to reveal a strip of tanned skin that Michael’s emerald green eyes took in greedily. Calum’s dark hair was curlier than usual after his shower and he looked soft as he lay there in the pillows, his expression curious as Michael crawled up onto the bed beside him.

“How were you planning on distracting me?” Calum asked hesitantly and Michael’s lips twitched into a nervous smile.

“I was hoping you’d teach me to blow you, Cal.”

Michael spoke as nonchalantly as he could and had the satisfaction of hearing Calum splutter in surprise. The dark-haired man’s cheeks had flushed when Michael finally risked looking up at him but Calum’s expression was undeniably fond as he pulled Michael down into a gentle hug.

“Kitten, are you sure?” Calum asked in a hushed voice, his expression nothing but loving as Michael watched him shyly. The younger boy gave him a small smile as his arms looped warmly around the older man’s shoulders, cuddling him tighter.

“Definitely,” Michael reassured him although he was fiddling with the hem of his long-sleeved t-shirt nervously all the same. “It’s just… I haven’t ever done it before so… so I’m worried it’ll be terrible for you.”

Calum looked at him with soft, _soft_ eyes.

“It’s you, Mikey,” the older man said quietly, his dark eyes sparkling. “How could it ever be terrible?”

Michael smiled despite himself, warm hands falling to settle on Calum’s tanned thighs where his shorts were riding up a little bit. Calum tilted his head curiously to the side when Michael seemed content to simply stare at his crotch and he snorted faintly when the younger boy’s fingers curled cautiously into the waistband of his boyfriend’s shorts.

“You sure you want to?” Calum asked softly but there was still a faint line of tension in his shoulders and Michael knew then that the answer was yes. He just wanted to make Calum feel okay again and he’d wanted to try this _anyway_ ; now seemed as good a time as any.

“I do,” Michael said firmly. He stretched up to kiss Calum and the older man hummed into it contentedly, his hips rocking up a little when Michael’s tongue slid hot into his mouth. Michael’s teeth sank lightly into Calum’s bottom lip and the older man groaned softly, already half-hard in his boxers.

Michael remembered when Calum had blown him for a moment; remembered the yielding heat of his mouth and how incredible Calum’s tongue had felt sliding over him. Michael moaned a tiny bit despite himself and Calum looked satisfied as he slumped down more comfortably onto the duvet.

“Is it difficult?” Michael asked and his voice was smaller suddenly, almost doubtful. Calum bit his lip worriedly, hesitating for a moment as he ordered his thoughts.

“Not after practice – I mean, I kind of love it now – but… it can take a little while to get used to,” Calum said honestly, reaching to stroke Michael’s cheek gently as the wary expression on the younger boy’s face faded. “You might not like it, Mikey. You don’t have to do it at all if you –”

Michael shushed him and Calum’s lips twitched faintly despite himself.

“I want to try,” the younger boy said honestly, taking in the lust saturating his boyfriend’s face with something that looked a lot like love. “Just… tell me what to do, okay? Keep talking to me, Cal.”

“I can do that,” Calum said breathlessly, his lovely eyes darkening now although he was still smiling gently. Michael’s expression became heartened as he reached to ease Calum’s shorts and boxers down, tossing them onto the carpet once they were removed. Calum’s eyes crinkled with fondness and Michael ducked his head shyly as his pale hand reached to stroke where Calum was hard against his thigh. The older man’s breath caught in his throat and Michael’s plump cherry-red lips curved into a smile.

He looked nervous but determined now and Calum knew then that this was going to be okay.

“Tell me what to do,” Michael whispered, his breath ghosting hot over Calum’s hard cock. The older man groaned low in his throat but, before he could do much more than shudder as goosebumps broke out on his skin, Michael had already moved to suck lightly on the head.

The heat of his mouth took Calum by surprise and it was all he could do to keep his hips from jerking as his breath left him in an embarrassing gasp. Michael’s golden hair was glinting in the dim light and Calum petted it gently beneath his fingers as Michael bobbed his head a little, glancing up at Calum pleadingly with his soft green eyes.

“You’re doing great,” Calum said reassuringly, his voice embarrassingly breathless as his eyes fluttered shut for a moment when Michael’s tongue slid hot over the slit. “So good, Mikey. Just –” Calum broke off with a low moan and Michael’s eyes glittered with something that was almost pride. “Just use your hand for what’s not in your mouth, okay? You don’t have to take all of it.”

Michael did what Calum said, curling his pale fingers carefully around the base of the older man’s cock as he settled into a clumsy rhythm, inhaling shallowly through his nose as he swirled his tongue over the head. Calum moaned louder, and Michael’s expression was the perfect mixture of shock and smugness which Calum probably found a little bit _too_ endearing.

It quickly became apparent that Michael didn't need instructions anyway; he’d figured it out on his own and he was damn good at it. Much better than Calum had been anyway; he’d just choked and cried a little bit because he got frustrated when he wasn’t great at something straight away. (He was fairly certain this competitive, perfectionist streak was what made him such a successful football captain.)

The younger boy’s cheeks were pink now and his eyes were starting to water as he kept up the rhythm he’d set, bobbing his head and fisting the shaft firmly in his pale fist. A little choking sound escaped Michael when he took too much and Calum groaned, gasping out for him to take it slow but Michael didn’t care; he loved making Calum fall apart like this. It was all he could think about.

Calum’s breath was coming in short gasps when Michael’s tongue began to toy gently with the slit and he could barely keep still now, fighting to keep his hips from thrusting because the last thing he wanted to do was hurt Michael. His boyfriend was precious and Calum refused to do anything that might make him uncomfortable.

Calum carded his fingers lightly through the younger boy’s golden hair and Michael moaned, the vibrations making Calum’s eyes flutter shut as a whine was torn out of him. The heat in his stomach coiled tighter than ever and his chest was heaving with how great he felt now.

“ _Fuck_ , kitten, you feel so good,” Calum gasped out, panting raggedly when Michael tightened his grip a little, pushing forwards to take more into his mouth as he sucked harder. Calum couldn’t hold his moans in anymore.

He didn’t know why it felt so good; Calum had had better blow jobs before and Michael certainly wasn’t a natural but… but maybe that made it _more_ special really. Maybe the trust and the love blazing in Michael’s beautiful eyes like fire were what was slowly taking Calum to pieces like this. Maybe it was Michael’s open, gorgeous face and his soft pale hand as it slipped to roll Calum’s balls lightly in his palm, bringing the dark-haired man closer than ever.

God, Calum loved him so much.

His stomach felt like it was on fire now and Calum was a whimpering mess, tanned skin sticking to the sheets with sweat, dark curls falling onto the clean-smelling pillows as his balls drew up tight to his body. A strangled moan tore out of Calum when Michael’s tongue began to work around the head of his cock again and Calum felt the impending orgasm rising inside him.

“Mikey, I… _Fuck_ , kitten, I’m gonna come,” Calum gasped out, the disbelief clear in his tone at how quickly he was falling apart. He still wanted to be courteous though; wanted to tell Michael so he’d have time to get out of the way before Calum fell apart spectacularly.

Michael drew back swiftly – just as Calum had hoped for – but he continued to fist his boyfriend’s cock at a steady pace and the heat in Calum’s stomach ignited.

Michael’s green eyes were darker than ever as Calum’s cum shot hot across his tense stomach muscles and the younger boy couldn’t get over how beautiful Calum looked as he fell apart like that, chocolate brown eyes slipping shut in bliss.

It slowly dawned on Michael that he felt a bit disgusting as he knelt there on the bed, waiting for Calum to stir again. His chin was all sticky and gross, and he was leaking in his underwear, painfully hard as Calum’s dark eyes finally fluttered open.

The older man looked dazed but his smile was so fond that Michael forgot how desperate and uncomfortable he felt, losing himself in Calum’s sparkling brown eyes.

“You’re amazing,” Calum murmured, answering Michael’s unspoken question breathlessly as the younger boy wiped his hand clean on Calum’s discarded shorts. Michael smiled a little despite himself but Calum made a soft sound of concern, pushing himself up shakily and pulling his t-shirt off before he used it to clean Michael’s face for him gently. The younger boy ducked his head, cheeks heating, and Calum pressed a soft kiss to his boyfriend’s swollen lips in gratitude.

“Is your jaw okay?” Calum asked softly once his breathing had calmed. “It doesn’t hurt too much?”

“It aches a little,” Michael said with a shrug but the vulnerability was fading from his face now and Calum was glad. Michael was amazing and the older man didn’t want him to forget that. “You seemed to like it though.”

“I did,” Calum said, dimples creasing his cheeks when Michael finally let his usual sunny smile break over his face. He was hard beneath the soft denim shorts he was wearing and Calum’s palm settled on his boyfriend’s pale thigh as he stroked the smooth skin gently. “You want me to help you out, kitten?” he murmured, dark eyes flickering down to the hard line of Michael’s cock before they drifted away again. “I can think of something new you might like to try.”

Michael swallowed audibly but his pupils were blown now and Calum couldn’t resist leaning in to kiss him again. Calum’s fingers tangled lightly in the younger boy’s golden hair and Michael moaned when Calum’s tongue licked hot over his own. Michael could feel himself leaking in his underwear now and he was getting too hot in the soft long-sleeved t-shirt he was dressed in. Calum helped him out of it carefully at the younger boy's urging, his dark eyes crinkling when it left Michael's hair sticking up messily.

“What were you thinking?” Michael asked cautiously but his hands had already fallen to undo his shorts and Calum grinned when Michael wriggled out of them quickly. He was wearing blue silky underwear underneath - another item of clothing purchased on the shopping trip with Bryana - and Calum’s eyes went dark when he saw them.

“ _God_ , Mikey.” The older man’s hands slipped down to cover Michael’s arse and the younger boy shifted, biting back a moan as his hard cock pressed against Calum’s hip for a moment of frustrating friction. “Wanna make you come on my tongue, baby boy.”

Heat washed over Michael and he whimpered before he could stop himself as he gazed at Calum, his emerald eyes wide and almost glassy with how desperate he was now.

“You mean you’re gonna...?” His voice trailed away but the lust in his eyes was unmistakable as Calum wet his lips with a teasing, thoughtful expression on his face.

“Rim you?” the older man murmured, smirking just a tiny bit when he heard the whine building in Michael’s throat. “Yeah, kitten. If you want me to.”

“ _Cally_ ,” Michael whimpered, his voice several octaves too high now. “I want you to. I _really_ want you to.”

“Let me do that for you,” Calum whispered, full lips catching Michael’s jaw in a soft brushing kiss as the younger boy melted beneath him. “Let me make you feel good, kitten.”

“Please,” Michael breathed, his eyes falling shut with contentment when Calum smoothed his tanned hands comfortingly down the younger boy’s ribs. There was a rosy flush spreading down Michael’s chest now and it drew Calum’s gaze, made him lean forwards to lick slowly over the younger boy’s nipples, his tongue a hot drag that made heat coil in Michael's stomach as he whined.

The blue silk was cool under Calum’s searching hands as he ran them slowly down his boyfriend’s body, stroking the soft skin as Michael pressed up into the contact. Calum’s thigh slipped between both of Michael’s to give him something to rub against and the golden-haired boy moaned helplessly, eyes already wet with tears as Calum pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to the sensitive skin of the younger boy’s neck.

“Roll over for me, kitten,” Calum murmured, moving aside to give Michael room. The younger boy’s cheeks were flushed red now but he still managed a crooked smile at that.

“Sounds like something you’d say to a puppy instead of a kitten,” he pointed out. His voice was embarrassingly breathless but Calum looked so unbearably fond as his chocolate brown eyes crinkled that Michael couldn’t regret his lame joke.

He couldn’t regret _anything_ that put a smile like that on Calum’s lovely face.

“Let’s take these off so we don’t spoil them,” the dark-haired man said quietly, carefully easing the silky material down Michael’s shaking thighs as he pressed a soft kiss to the curve of the younger boy’s arse. Michael shuddered and Calum hid his smile in his boyfriend’s warm skin as he helped Michael up onto all fours.

The younger boy was shaking a little bit and Calum leant over him carefully, trailing kisses over his shoulders and down his back in a successful attempt to get him to relax. Michael’s arms wobbled beneath him when Calum’s lips brushed the base of his spine and the dark-haired man spread Michael’s pale cheeks gently with his thumbs. He blew over the golden-haired boy's hole and Michael clenched down, whining as his hips jerked back uselessly.

“ _Cally_.” Michael sounded so needy as he whimpered into the crook of his elbow that Calum finally took pity on him, leaning closer so that he could press a soft kiss to Michael’s overheated skin, his lips dragging hot down to where Michael needed him most.

The younger boy’s breath stuttered out of him and Calum fought down a smirk, licking hot over the younger boy’s puckered hole before his tongue pushed past the tight ring of muscles to fuck in and out languidly. A shrill whine tore out of Michael and his face flamed scarlet as his arms gave way. He fell face-first down into the pillow, biting his ridiculous-sounding moans into it. (Calum didn’t think they were ridiculous at all; he thought they were _hot_ and he could rapidly feel himself getting turned on again.)

Calum’s hands were strong on Michael’s hips as he turned him over and the younger boy groaned at the friction of the duvet dragging against his leaking cock, too far gone to focus on anything but his burning need as his cheeks stained red at the broken moans escaping him. Calum pushed a pillow under his hips and pulled him carefully closer, spreading the younger boy’s trembling legs so that he could press his tongue in deep again, making the younger boy jerk away at the stimulation.

The sounds tearing out of Michael were strangled and desperate, and he was crying now because it was too much; felt too _good_ and Michael had never felt like this before… not even the first time Calum blew him.

Michael’s shaking hands settled on Calum’s head and his fingers knotted in the older man’s hair which was just what Calum had been hoping for. He loved it when Michael pulled his hair and this time was no different; the pleasure-pain made Calum groan loudly and it vibrated all the way through Michael, making him cry out embarrassingly loudly as the tears leaked down his flushed cheeks relentlessly.

“Idea,” Calum mumbled breathlessly as he drew back, pressing a hot kiss into the crease of Michael’s trembling thigh as the older man reached to snag the lube from the bedside table. He coated his finger with it and Michael whimpered brokenly, legs falling open wider as Calum settled back down against him, reaching to tease the younger boy’s soft hole with his fingertip.

Michael's cock throbbed against his stomach as pearly drops of pre-cum shot out over his soft tummy. Calum pressed a warm kiss to the sensitive skin and Michael shuddered, hips jerking almost violently as Calum’s finger sank deeper.

The dark-haired man was scattering kisses over Michael’s soft tummy now and the younger boy almost _wailed_ when Calum’s fingertip hit his prostate although hopefully his boyfriend would be kind enough not to call him out on it.

Calum was grinning as he ducked his head to suck on Michael’s nipple again and the golden-haired boy couldn’t _stand_ this now; it was too much and Calum’s smirk was doing things to the fire in Michael’s stomach as his muscles started to flutter.

Calum kept his finger buried deep inside Michael, tapping it lightly against his prostate for constant stimulation, and when Calum sucked a biting kiss into the younger boy’s thigh, that was all it took to make Michael lose it.

He came untouched, hot ropes of cum splashing out onto his pale skin as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut, sobbing brokenly as his body shuddered violently through his orgasm. Calum withdrew his finger carefully, wiping his hands on the sheets before he crawled up to slump down beside his boyfriend, stroking his golden hair gently back from his sweaty forehead.

“Baby boy?” Calum’s voice was soft but Michael didn’t open his eyes, simply making a soft murmuring noise as he stretched out in the sheets like a little cat. Calum stroked his cheek gently and Michael shuddered, blinking his green eyes open tiredly to give Calum a crooked grin, his expression so blissed out and dopey that Calum couldn’t keep the fond smile from spreading across his face.

“Hey, Cal,” Michael mumbled, eyes falling shut again although he was still smiling. Calum couldn’t resist drawing the younger boy into a warm, reassuring cuddle and Michael beamed when Calum pressed a soft kiss to his hair.

Michael felt high on his love for Calum but he struggled to focus for a moment, opening his eyes to trace Calum’s face carefully. The dark-haired man looked a lot calmer than he had done earlier; he didn’t look so upset anymore and Michael was glad of that but, in his orgasm-drunk state, he wanted to make sure Calum understood how special he was.

“It’s you, Cal,” Michael said, his words thick with weariness as Calum rubbed his bare back soothingly, holding him warm in his arms against his bare chest. Michael shivered, snuggling closer although his lips twitched when Calum made a small noise of confusion.

“It’s you,” Michael repeated, rambling away unthinkingly as he struggled to put into words how much Calum meant to him. “It’s been you for _months_ now. From the first moment I saw you, Cal. It’s you every minute, day or night. It’s you when I’m eating or sleeping or studying or… or fucking _showering_. It’s **always** you.”

Calum’s dimples were creasing his cheeks as Michael lay curled up against his chest but the tears were welling up in his chocolate brown eyes all the same.

“You’re everything to me, Cal. _Everything_ ,” Michael said earnestly, twisting in the older man’s arms so that he could tuck his head safely beneath Calum’s chin. “It’s you. It’s _always_ been you… and I think it always will be. You, you, you.” Michael pressed a warm kiss to the older man’s collarbone and Calum hummed past the tears sliding down his cheeks.

“I’m not just saying it, Cal,” Michael whispered, his voice saturated with love and exhaustion, and utter sincerity. “I mean it.”

“I know you do,” Calum choked out, eyelashes spiky with tears as his lips brushed Michael’s cheekbone. “I know, Mikey. God, I really do love you.”

“I love you too,” the younger boy whispered, his voice slightly choked although he’d never felt safer. Everything felt like it was falling into place now. “I love you so, _so_ much, Cal.”

Calum’s eyes were still damp but they were shining with light again. Michael hid his smile in the older man’s shoulder, burying it there like it was treasure to be found later, and Calum knew then that he could never lose him.

He hoped this never stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> There's probably only 3 updates left now so I hope you guys liked this one! :)  
> Please let me know what you thought <3


	12. I Love Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> I'm so sorry this has taken me so long to update. I've not been in a good place mentally at the moment but I missed writing this story a lot and it cheered me up a little bit.  
> It's really long and it took me almost all day to write it, and I'll correct any mistakes I may have missed later.  
> I really hope you guys will like this and thank you so much for sticking around! <3  
> Enjoy :)

With hindsight, Michael figured maybe he should have realised his parents were planning something.

Saturday morning had started normally enough. Michael crawled out of bed just a little too late and stumbled into the shower. He spilt shower gel everywhere and swore when he almost slipped over while clambering out, and then he picked an outfit and failed to tame his messy golden hair.

However, when Michael sat down at the kitchen table with a bowl of coco pops, he began to realise that something _strange_ was going on.

Karen sat with him for a little while, nursing a mug of tea and watching him in a distinctly shifty way which put him on edge, but Michael didn’t realise the significance of this until they both heard Daryl descending the stairs and she suddenly darted off to hide in the living room.

Michael watched her leave with a vaguely betrayed expression on his face.

Things with his dad might have improved since that awful night when Michael had fled the house but the seventeen year old had still been doing his best to avoid being left alone with Daryl. It felt too awkward and strained, and it reminded Michael sorely of how much he missed the way their relationship had been when he was younger.

In recent years, Daryl seemed to find it increasingly difficult to accept his son and, despite some of his actions possibly proving the contrary in the last month, Michael wasn’t sure about it and it made him distinctly uneasy.

“Traitor,” he muttered at his mum’s retreating back and she shot him an apologetic smile over her shoulder. When she tripped in the doorway and slopped her tea all over the floor, it felt like karma.

“Good morning, Mike,” Daryl said carefully when he appeared in the kitchen. Michael nodded at him awkwardly, spooning his cereal up with renewed vigour in an effort to finish his food before his dad sat down.

Naturally, Michael’s plan didn’t work. He managed to inhale some milk in his bid for freedom and the next thing he knew, he was spluttering so badly that Daryl had to thump him on the back.

Michael’s cheeks flamed and he buried his head in his hands, more than a little disheartened that he only ever seemed to be able to make himself look stupid in front of his dad.

No wonder Daryl had grown so tired of him, even _before_ Michael had come out and almost tore their family apart in the process.

“Mike,” Daryl said quietly and Michael bit his bottom lip hard, raising his head unhappily to hold his dad’s gaze. The golden-haired boy’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw the imploring look on the older man’s face though; it reminded Michael of how Daryl had behaved that night on the bathroom floor… how his eyes had looked like he was pleading for forgiveness.

“Don’t choke to death on your cereal just because you don’t want to eat breakfast with me,” Daryl said softly but his expression was downcast. “I… I know these last few weeks have been tough and… and I know it was my fault.”

Michael looked up at his dad in confusion, his eyebrows pulling together as a frown creased his face. In all of the time he’d known his father, he’d never once heard him admit that he’d been at fault.

“Dad?” Michael’s voice was soft despite himself, his spoon forgotten in the bowl. Daryl sat down heavily in the chair his wife had vacated, his palms falling open in a beseeching gesture as he watched Michael hopefully.

“I regret the way I behaved so much,” Daryl said softly, too quiet for Karen to hear in the other room. These words were only for Michael. “I… I’m so sorry, Mikey. I didn’t understand then – or I was too stubborn to – but… but I can see now. Being gay isn’t something you choose. It’s not something that’s wrong or… or that needs to be _fixed_.”

Daryl shrugged awkwardly, his shoulders still just as broad and muscular as they had been back when he excelled at boxing as a teenager. His hand fell to rest hesitantly over his only son’s and Michael suddenly had to swallow past the lump rising in his throat.

“I’m so sorry, Mikey,” Daryl whispered, his voice thick with what Michael thought might have been unshed tears. His dad’s eyes glimmered with them and Michael couldn’t speak. “The way I behaved was despicable and I know I can never apologise enough for that but…” Daryl’s words failed him for a moment and he shook his head to clear it, squaring his jaw like he was determined to choose his words carefully… like he realised just how important this moment was. “Can you ever forgive me, son?”

Michael thought it might have been the ‘son’ that did it. On the night in question, Daryl had spat out that no son of his would be gay but… but this didn’t even feel like the same person now. Daryl was watching him with something like desperation as the tears started to roll and Michael’s mouth fell open in shock.

“But I hate boxing,” he blurted out stupidly. His dad let out a breathless laugh, his green eyes damp as he gave Michael a watery smile.

“I don’t care,” Daryl said and the sincerity blazed on his face. “I’ve never cared about anything less.”

Michael kind of threw himself at his dad, arms flying around his shoulders as Daryl drew him into a tight hug. A sob tore out of Michael and Daryl held him closer, exhaling shakily when his son buried his head in his dad’s neck, hiding his tears there. Daryl stroked Michael’s hair comfortingly.

“Mike?” Daryl murmured and the younger boy pulled back, his eyelashes spiky with tears and a beautiful smile lighting up his face, like he was finally on the way to feeling whole again.

The seventeen year old spoke three more words and his voice was soft as he gripped his dad’s hand tightly.

“I forgive you,” Michael said.

*

Calum came round to pick him up at six o’clock that evening.

Michael had been texting him for most of the day, first to tell him what his dad had said and then to complain that he was bored – his parents were working in the garden and Michael didn’t want to help them – and it ha kept Calum amused while he did his grocery shopping and cleaned his bathroom which was definitely a bonus.

Calum teased his boyfriend for a while but eventually he decided to be kind and invited the younger boy to sleep over instead. This idea had been greeted with lots of exclamation marks and kissing emojis so Calum felt it was safe to assume that Michael was very happy with the idea.

It was already starting to get dark by the time Calum knocked on the Clifford’s front door and he huddled up in his hoodie, wrapping his arms around himself as he waited with anticipation for his boyfriend. Calum was therefore more than a little surprised when Michael’s dad opened the door instead.

“Oh,” Calum mumbled, his cheeks flaming as he took a wary step back. “Sorry to bother you. I wondered if Mike was home?” He wasn’t sure what to say – although insinuating that Michael was coming over to sleep in his bed probably wasn’t a good idea – and he sounded curter than he’d intended, probably because he was so uneasy.

Daryl hung his head, shamefaced. He was clearly struggling with whatever he wanted to say and Calum bit his lip, waiting in awkward silence as Daryl rubbed the back of his neck nervously, finally meeting Calum’s gaze. Daryl was behaving nothing like the man Calum had lived next door to for the last few months and it shook him a lot; maybe Michael’s dad was sorrier than Calum had realised.

“Mike’s just getting ready upstairs. He shouldn’t be too much longer though,” Daryl said, jerking his thumb needlessly in the direction of Michael’s bedroom before he met Calum’s dark gaze. His eyes were the exact same shade of emerald green and Calum started in surprise; he’d never noticed that before.

“Calum, I…” Daryl's gaze dropped to the floor and he gripped the doorframe in a white-knuckled grip. It took him a long time to look up again, like the apology on the tip of his tongue was difficult to say. When Calum saw the wounded pride in Daryl’s eyes, buried beneath the love and regret, he thought he understood better than anyone.

That was how Calum looked when he thought about his parents.

It was how he looked when he realised he’d cut them off by refusing to ever let them apologise for what they’d done to him.

“It’s okay,” Calum said quietly and the words took him by surprise but what shook him even more was that he realised he _meant_ them. Daryl looked at him in shock and Calum shrugged uneasily. “You apologised to Michael, right? He forgave you?”

Daryl’s cheeks heated but his expression softened as he nodded wordlessly. Calum nodded, his arms falling to hang limply by his sides as he fought to ignore the guilt he could still feel at the thought of his parents.

“If you and Mikey are good again then that’s all that matters to me,” Calum said firmly. “I was there for Michael because I _love_ him… not because I felt like I had to fix whatever damage that night caused… and it’s nothing I haven’t heard before. Not after my parents.” Calum inhaled shakily, fighting for a calm he didn’t totally feel. “You don’t need to apologise to me. You needed to say sorry to him and you have. Now I think maybe it’s better to try and leave the past behind us, okay?”

Daryl’s expression became incredibly relieved but he still seemed to be struggling with something. Maybe he was _just_ as proud as Calum was. Maybe the pair had more in common than they realised.

“I’m still sorry,” Daryl said and Calum could see in his tired eyes that he meant the words. “I behaved horribly. I was… blinded by hate. It was disgusting.”

“But it’s in the past,” Calum said, feeling strange for trying to make Daryl feel better. He wasn’t sure he’d ever forgive Michael’s dad for the way he’d made his son feel but Calum knew how deeply apologetic Daryl felt now. He thought perhaps it would be enough eventually. “You’ve learnt. You’ve apologised. There’s nothing else you can do. Just be there for him. Support him. Love him.”

“I do,” Daryl said softly. “I will.”

“I’m glad,” Calum said quietly, glancing towards the stairs where he could dimly hear Michael and his mum talking in the younger boy’s room as he got his things ready. Daryl suddenly seemed to remember his manners and stepped aside, sweeping his arm as he gestured for Calum to come in out of the cold. The twenty year old stepped in gratefully, lingering in the hallway although an idea suddenly sprang to mind.

“I should give you my number,” Calum said, easing his mobile out of his pocket as he did so. “Mrs Clifford already has it but… y’know, maybe you should have it too… in case Mike’s with me and you need to get hold of him or something.” Calum went red suddenly, aware that he was rambling in his awkwardness but unable to stop himself. “I mean, I know I only live next door and everything but it might be a good idea and then – y’know, if you need it then… uh…”

“I understand, Calum,” Daryl said hurriedly but there was something soft in his face that the dark-haired man had never seen before. “Thank you.”

Daryl seemed to appreciate the gesture as he passed his phone to Calum with a new contact open and the dark-haired man pressed his lips together hard, smiling a little despite himself. He thought he might quite like Daryl in the end… and Calum was planning on sticking around to find out.

Calum wanted to be with Michael for the rest of his life.

“So,” Daryl said as the pair of them stood there quietly, listening with wry amusement to Michael banging around upstairs as Karen laughed at whatever he’d done. “You like boxing then?”

“Oh,” Calum said with mild surprise, a small smile lighting up his face. “Yeah, I do. And football. Boxing is like a stress reliever for me but football’s probably my favourite.”

Daryl leant a little closer, his expression animated now that they’d found common ground.

“You play it, don’t you?” he asked eagerly. “I’m sure I saw a picture of one of the local teams in the paper recently and I thought it was you there. It was, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Calum said, unable to ignore how surreal this felt although there was something like pride colouring his face now as he recalled how brilliantly his team had played so far. “I’m the team captain.”

Calum let out a nervous, self-deprecating laugh and Daryl allowed a broad smile to spread over his face.

“That’s fantastic!” he said sincerely and he seemed to mean it. “How’s this season going so far? Good?”

“Yeah, it’s –”

“Oh god, mum,” Michael said in a stage whisper on the stairs. “They’re talking about _sports_ together.”

Both Calum and Daryl looked up, wide smiles breaking over their faces, and the relief Michael seemed to feel was tangible. Karen smiled as she stepped down behind her son, her hand resting comfortingly on his shoulder.

“We should have realised they’d bond over that,” Karen said in a conspiratorial whisper. Michael snorted with laughter and Calum exchanged a slightly wry smile with Daryl. The dark-haired man's attention was quickly held when the younger boy trotted down the stairs though and Calum’s dimples creased his cheeks when Michael approached him, glancing slightly awkwardly towards his dad before he seemed to shrug his worries away.

Michael wrapped his arms around Calum’s shoulders and stretched up on his tiptoes, and Calum smiled gently when Michael brushed a chaste kiss over his lips.

“Hey, Mikey,” Calum said and Michael’s ducked his head shyly, his cheeks heating as he blushed.

“Hey, Cal. You ready to go now?” he asked. Calum smiled, chocolate brown eyes twinkling as – over his boyfriend’s shoulder – he saw Karen reaching out to take Daryl’s hand, a proud smile on her face.

“Definitely,” Calum replied. “Just waiting on you, Mikey.”

“Well, I’m ready now,” Michael replied, his green eyes glittering as he turned to face his parents. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow, okay? I’m only next door if you need me… but I’m going to be doing important things like eating takeaway pizza and watching films… so try not to need me, yeah?”

Michael looked proud of himself when Karen scoffed at him and Daryl rolled his eyes. Both of them looked undeniably fond though and Calum finally let himself relax as the knowledge that everything was going to be okay sunk in.

“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Daryl said, giving Michael’s shoulder a gentle squeeze before he clapped Calum awkwardly on the arm. “You two take care of yourselves.” Daryl seemed to have decided that bluster was the best way to deal with his awkwardness but Calum didn’t mind and neither – judging by the wide smile on his face – did Michael.

“Have fun tonight,” Karen added, blowing Michael a kiss when he beamed at her. “Off you go. You’re letting all the cold out with that door open.”

Calum grinned at her as he wrapped an arm around Michael’s waist, taking his boyfriend’s bag from him and leading the younger boy out into the early evening. Calum was aware that Karen had saved them the awkwardness of making stilted goodbyes as they left and he was grateful for that. She was an amazing woman and he was so glad Michael had her.

The front door shut softly behind them and Michael relaxed as tension Calum hadn’t even noticed bled out of him. The dark-haired man pulled him into a half-cuddle as they stumbled down the driveway towards Calum’s house, narrowly avoiding a sleeping Teddy curled up in the flower bed as they did so. Michael let out a breathless giggle, tucking his face away into Calum’s neck for a moment as he inhaled the familiar comforting scent.

“I love you, Cal,” Michael whispered and Calum smiled, dropping a kiss onto the top of his boyfriend’s head.

“I love you too, baby boy,” Calum promised. “Always will.” Michael’s arm wrapped around his waist too and he squeezed his boyfriend’s hip comfortingly. “I’m glad everything worked out for you, Mikey.”

The golden-haired boy glanced up at him as he spoke, taking in the way his boyfriend’s expression seemed to have fragmented as his voice shook the tiniest bit. Calum’s expression was a chaotic mixture of sad and happy, and light and dark, and Michael seemed to understand that Calum felt a bit up in the air at the moment.

“Are you thinking about your parents?” he asked softly and Calum pressed his lips together to keep himself from voicing his surprise.

“You know me too well,” Calum said and Michael shook his head in disagreement. Calum held Michael closer to his side as they walked through the darkness towards the older man’s house, and Michael felt so protected and loved that he couldn’t resist snuggling closer.

“You think I know you too well?” the golden-haired boy repeated, raising an eyebrow as Calum fumbled in his pockets for the door key. “There’s no such thing. I want to keep learning you every day.” Michael’s green eyes sparkled in the early evening moonlight and Calum was struck, for just a moment, at how much Michael had grown during the time he’d known him. “I want to _know_ you, Cal.”

The words brought a lump to Calum’s throat although he couldn’t have explained why.

“You know me better than anyone, kitten,” he said honestly, sniffing tearfully as he got the door open and let Michael into the warm, setting his boyfriend’s bag down by the stairs.

“That’s what I’m counting on,” Michael whispered, stretching up to kiss him warmly in the dim light of the hallway. His arms eased comfortingly around Calum’s shoulders and the dark-haired man smiled as relief trickled through him, slowly at first and then in a flood.

He lifted Michael right off his feet, pulling him into the tightest cuddle ever as the pair of them stumbled through the darkness into the living room like some clumsy, two-headed monster. They slumped down onto the sofa together and Michael grinned as Calum scattered chaste, purposefully wet kisses all over his boyfriend’s face. Michael giggled, wrinkling his nose as he pushed a laughing Calum away.

“I love you, you idiot,” Michael said, repeating himself as his eyes glittered with laughter. His hair was a mess on the pillow and it probably wasn’t the most flattering angle as Michael craned his head to look down at his boyfriend but, god, the sight of him took Calum’s breath away all the same.

He thought Michael had maybe never looked more beautiful.

“I love you too, kitten,” Calum said and there was something in his chest that made him feel like he would have fallen down if Michael hadn’t been holding him so tightly. “I love you, I love you, I love you. Mikey, I’ll never stop.”

“Good,” Michael whispered, carding his fingers lightly through Calum’s dark curls before he drew the older man back in for a cuddle again. “Neither will I.”

Calum’s heart swelled with love but he decided he might have to change the subject because tears felt imminent. Michael’s expression was vaguely knowing as he wiped an errant tear away from Calum’s cheek. The dark-haired man smiled bashfully, pressing a soft kiss to his boyfriend’s palm.

“You want to watch Toy Story, kitten?” Calum asked out of nowhere. Michael grinned, settling down more comfortably on the sofa as Calum reached to snag the TV remote before he relaxed against him.

“The third one,” Michael decided, putting one hand comfortably behind his head as Calum watched him warmly, his dark eyes loving. “Then I’ll probably cry and you’ll have to hug me better.”

“I’d hug you anyway. Do we really have to break me with that film in the process?” Calum joked but he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face when Michael simply shrugged stubbornly, fighting a smile although his lips threatened to curve upwards anyway.

“But the third one is my _favourite_ film, Cal,” Michael said in a deliberately whiny voice. Calum rolled his eyes but he was already nodding and Michael smirked triumphantly as his hands returned to stroking his boyfriend’s hair again.

“I think I can manage that for you, Mikey,” Calum said. “Although you might have to be the one doing the hugging. This film _destroys_ me.”

“I think I can manage that,” Michael mimicked.

Then he smiled, his green eyes crinkling as he drew Calum into a gentle kiss before repeating himself one more time that night.

“I love you more than anything in the world, Calum.”

*

The pair of them saw their best friends for a barbecue the next day.

Calum had planned it originally because he was quite sure it would cheer Michael up if things with Daryl were still difficult but Calum was glad that wasn’t the case anymore. It would be a lot more fun without that hanging over them and, more than anything, Calum just wanted to see his boyfriend happy.

He was so glad that Michael finally could be now, and he knew Luke, Ashton, and Bryana agreed with him. They’d make the evening special for Michael and Calum loved them so much for that; he couldn’t wait for them all to be together again.

The pair of them wandered into town during the day, picking up something light for lunch although Calum wouldn’t tell Michael why when the younger boy asked; he simply told Michael that there was a surprise later and that he’d want to have an appetite for it.

When the pair of them entered the supermarket at Calum’s urging, Michael began to watch him suspiciously, taking note of everything Calum put in the basket with a confused frown on his face.

“You’re buying burgers and hot dogs,” the golden-haired boy acknowledged. “And napkins and paper plates. Calum, what are you planning?”

The dark-haired man smiled serenely as he reached to pick up a large bottle of ketchup.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Calum said, making Michael huff and roll his eyes as he tried not to smile.

It got worse when they got home. Calum continued to pretend he had no idea what he was doing and Michael wanted to get irritated about it – he might have succeeded too, since he didn’t exactly love surprises – but then Calum pushed him down lightly onto the sofa and fingered Michael until he was crying with need which went a good way to distracting him.

Michael lay there panting afterwards, his expression an endearing mixture of weariness and satisfaction, at least until Calum dropped a kiss onto his lips and hopped up off the sofa again, heading for the garden.

“Where are you _going_?” Michael asked bemusedly as he pushed himself shakily up and grabbed a tissue from the coffee table, cleaning himself up the best he could. Calum watched him fondly as he opened the back door, trotting out into the warm sunshine.

“I’m just having some fresh air,” Calum lied as he crouched down to look at something on the patio. Frowning, Michael clambered up and followed him, wriggling back into his favourite silky blue underwear as he went. He’d swapped his vest for an over-sized t-shirt of Calum’s earlier in the day and he looked small as he huddled up there in the doorway. His pale shoulder was exposed where the neck of the t-shirt was slipping and there was a bruise sucked into his skin that would be impossible to hide.

Michael pointed at Calum accusingly.

“You’re sorting the barbecue out!” he realised with a ridiculous amount of triumph. “Why are you being so secretive about wanting to have a barbecue?” When Calum simply watched him with an admirably convincing air of confusion, Michael faltered somewhere. “You… you _are_ sorting the barbecue out… aren’t you?”

“Am I?” Calum asked innocently as he lugged a bag of charcoal towards it from where it had been waiting beside the door. “I didn’t realise.”

Michael stuck his tongue out but he was smiling a little despite himself, still orgasm-drunk and cheerful despite how put-out he was that Calum hadn't remained cuddling him.

“You declined my offer of a blow job which either means I suck – don’t laugh at me, you dick; I didn’t mean it like that – or you’re in a rush,” Michael noted, trying not to smile when Calum turned away to smother his laughter. “What are you planning?”

When Calum simply shrugged infuriatingly, Michael rolled his eyes and tugged the hem of the t-shirt down before he drifted closer to watch what his boyfriend was doing.

“Do I need to put trousers on for this?” Michael guessed and Calum laughed softly despite himself.

“That’s probably a good idea, kitten.”

Calum continued to be frustratingly vague for the next few hours and, despite Michael threatening to break up with him if he didn’t tell him exactly what was going on – Calum distracted him with another orgasm and, later, a chocolate cookie – the older man wouldn’t tell him.

“It’s a surprise,” Calum kept saying. “Yes, I promise you’ll like it. No, I’m not letting you go home to sulk. Yes, you’ll find out soon.”

Eventually, at around four o’clock when Calum disappeared out to check on the barbecue while insisting that this wasn’t the case, the doorbell rang. Michael looked towards it in surprise before he padded out into the garden, glancing back over his shoulder warily as he did so.

“There’s someone at the door, Cal,” he said.

Calum looked up at him, chocolate brown eyes twinkling as he failed to hide a smile.

“Is there?” he asked with feigned surprise. “You better go answer it then.”

“Calum, what have you done?” Michael asked apprehensively but he was smiling weakly all the same as he walked down the hall to open the door. A huge smile spread across his face when he saw who was waiting for him on the doorstep.

“Hello, Mikey,” Luke said cheerfully, thrusting a box of chocolates towards the younger boy without ceremony. Behind him, Bryana gave a cheerful little wave and Ashton mumbled something that sounded like: “Surprise!”

Michael snorted but the sound was decidedly fond as he stepped aside to let them in.

“What are you three doing here?” he asked, smiling despite the confusion he felt. “Calum never said anything about company –”

“Aw, did we interrupt your sex time?” Luke teased and Michael punched him lightly on the shoulder, remembering – with just a hint of pride – the correct way to form a fist.

“No, I haven’t missed out at all actually,” Michael said sweetly, barely even blushing. “But thank you for your concern.”

“Gross,” Luke said but he was smiling all the same. “Where’s Cal? In the garden?”

“Yep,” Michael replied but he couldn’t keep the loving smile from his face as he thought about his boyfriend. “Probably incinerating the burgers right now. You know how he is with cooking.”

“Oh god, I better go save them,” Ashton said, pushing the six pack of beers he’d been carrying into Luke’s arms before he hurried off like some terrible superhero. Luke watched Ashton go, smirking a little despite himself.

“Nerd,” he said but he followed his best friend anyway and Michael grinned as he watched the pair of them hare off in their search for Calum. Bryana shut the door behind her carefully before she looped her arm warmly through Michael’s, leaning to kiss him on the cheek.

“How are you doing, love?” she asked and, beneath her cheerful tone, Michael knew she meant it seriously. Maybe Calum hadn’t told them about what his dad had said the day before.

“I’m good,” Michael said honestly, his voice gentle. “ _Really_ good. Dad apologised yesterday. I think it’s all gonna be okay, Bry.”

“Mikey, I’m so happy for you!” Bryana was beaming as she pulled him into a hug and Michael relaxed against her, tucking his face away for a moment as she rubbed his back soothingly. He loved Bryana so much; she felt almost like a big sister to him now and Michael was so glad he’d been lucky enough to meet her.

He was so glad he’d been lucky enough to meet _any_ of them.

The pair of them wandered slowly out into the garden and Michael laughed at what they found there: Calum and Ashton seemed to be wrestling for the right to look after the barbecue, all while Luke stood there and actually bothered to flip the burgers over.

“Our boyfriends are idiots,” Bryana said, purposefully loudly so that Ashton would hear, and Michael nodded in agreement, giggling at the wounded look on Calum and Ashton’s faces. Luke smiled smugly.

“I got all of the stuff ready and Mike didn’t even know it was happening,” Calum told them as he clawed his way to his feet, darting away with a bark of laughter when Ashton reached to tickle him. Michael grumbled good-naturedly at Calum’s lame attempt to embarrass him before his face suddenly lit up.

“Well I put trousers on!” he said indignantly, making Luke snort with laughter. “Where’s my prize?”

“This little party can be your prize,” Calum said, eyes twinkling. “Still going to break up with me?”

Michael grinned, moving closer to catch Calum’s full lips in a soft kiss. The quiet confidence he was exuding made Calum so happy; he loved how comfortable his boyfriend seemed to feel now.

“Not a chance,” Michael said, his voice a whole lot fonder as he reached to pick a blade of grass out of Calum’s dark hair. The older man smiled his crinkly-eyed smile and Michael’s heart melted.

“Ashton, you can be designated burger chef,” Luke said abruptly, ruining the moment with his usual smirk. “Cal can sort out the beers. Bryana can make Michael some fancy drink that doesn’t have alcohol in because the little poppet is still underage –” Michael scowled and Calum mumbled something about only having coke, apple juice, and milk in the house. “– and _I’m_ going to eat some of the chocolates I very kindly brought along.”

“You’re so dumb, Hemmings,” Calum said but his voice was _painfully_ fond as Ashton headed towards the barbecue. Rolling her eyes, Bryana disappeared into the house to find cans of coke for her and Michael. “Do you still have to leave early later?”

“Yep,” Luke confirmed as he flopped down into the grass, stretching out with a happy smile on his face. “I have a date with Brian tonight,” he added when he saw Michael’s confusion. “We’re going to that Grandma’s Bar place and I’m going to show him the delights of jaffles.”

“You and those fucking jaffles,” Calum said, shaking his head with mock sadness. Michael giggled as he sat down nearby too, reaching to poke Luke in the arm with his toes. It made the blond man jump since he’d let his eyes slide shut against the late afternoon sunlight and Michael giggled triumphantly.

“I’m happy for you guys, you loser,” Michael said, making Luke smirk although he kept his sky blue eyes shut. “Although how Brian can put up with your constant ‘banter’ is beyond me.”

“I’ll have you know that I’m very funny,” Luke said, pretending to be offended. “Brian thinks I’m _wonderful_. His parents like me; his dog likes me. Hell, even his _grandma_ likes me!”

“You’ve met Brian’s grandma?” Ashton piped up curiously from the barbecue, a smile lighting up his face. “Must be getting serious, Lu.”

Bryana – who was emerging from the house with her and Michael’s drinks – grinned when she heard those words. “You didn’t say anything too crude that managed to offend her?” she asked with feigned surprise. “Well _done_ , Lukey. We’re all so proud of you!”

“Actually his grandma _loved_ me,” Luke said, pouting just a little bit. “She’s weird but she’s really funny. I like her. I complimented her pet budgies and she wouldn’t leave me alone after that. She was like those two weird old ladies in Fawlty Towers who fancied Basil. She kept pawing all over me; Brian had to practically drag me away in the end.”

“Does anyone have a clue what he’s talking about?” Ashton asked teasingly and Luke sighed, pretending like he _wasn’t_ amused by their stupid conversation.

“Not one,” Michael commented.

“Me neither,” Calum lied, acting like he _hadn’t_ watched all of the episodes with the blond man back when they were younger. Luke grinned wolfishly as he reached out to grab Calum’s ankle, dragging his oldest best friend down into a bear hug.

“You’re all idiots,” Luke said. “I thought you loved me.”

“We _do_ love you, you gigantic dork,” Calum laughed but the sincerity in his voice was obvious. “Even Mikey does and you beat him at Guitar Hero last weekend.”

“Don’t remind me,” Michael grumbled but his cherry-red lips curved up into a big smile all the same.

“Ash,” Bryana said suddenly, her voice delicate like she was trying to break bad news. “I think the burgers might be burning.”

Ashton kept up a colourful litany of curses as he dashed back to the barbecue and Michael grinned, hopping up from the grass to go and sit with Bryana on the patio as they nursed their drinks.

Behind them, Luke finally let Calum up but he caught the older man’s wrist before Calum could leave. The dark-haired man watched him curiously and Luke gave him a half-smile, pushing himself up into a sitting position as his expression became marginally more serious.

“I have something to tell you,” Luke said quietly, keeping his voice soft so the others wouldn’t overhear. Calum nodded slowly before he got to his feet, extending a hand to help Luke up.

“You can help me slice some bread and get the salad ready,” Calum decided, gesturing towards the kitchen. “C’mon.”

Luke followed Calum into the kitchen and the dark-haired man opened the fridge, gathering the bag of lettuce leaves before he glanced over his shoulder to find Luke biting his bottom lip nervously.

“What’s wrong, Lukey?” Calum asked softly. The blond man smiled.

“You’re not the same person who turned up at my house in tears that night, Cal,” Luke said quietly and there was something fiercely proud in his voice. “You’ve grown so much and… that’s why I’m gonna tell you this.”

“Um… _okay_ ,” Calum said uneasily, setting the bread down on the counter before he turned to face the blond man properly. “What’s bothering you, buddy?”

“I… saw your parents the other day,” Luke said, speaking in a rush like maybe that would make it easier to hear. “I bumped into them in the supermarket when I was trying to buy these strawberry yoghurts I really like with these little pieces of fruit in them and –”

“Luke,” Calum said, his voice faint, his eyes suspiciously shiny in the light, looking almost as though he was trying not to cry. “Enough about the damn yoghurts.”

“Sorry,” Luke mumbled breathlessly, his cheeks heating. Apparently _he_ had a tendency to ramble when he was nervous too. “It’s just… Cal, they miss you so much and… you know I’d never be telling you this because I never, _ever_ want to hurt you but… I don’t know…” Luke shrugged uneasily, finally meeting Calum’s gaze with worried blue eyes as his voice softened. “I think you’re hurting anyway.”

“What do you mean?” Calum asked faintly. “I have Mikey and… and you guys… and Mali and Tom. I’m not hurting. I’m _fine_.”

“You miss them though,” Luke said softly and Calum didn’t waste his breath denying it. Luke was right; he knew him too well. “I can see it in your face whenever anyone mentions them and… fuck, Cal, they miss you too. I spoke to them for ages and they just want the chance to make things right. I’ve never seen two people more sorry before. They’re _desperate_ , Cal. They still love you so much.”

Calum sniffed despite himself and Luke moved to draw him into a gentle hug, patting the back of Calum’s neck gently when the smaller man tucked his face out of sight. Luke shushed him gently, lips chastely brushing Calum’s hair just like that awful night when his best friend had turned up in tears, homeless and heartbroken.

“Thank you,” Calum said quietly, his voice rough with emotion as he finally drew back. Luke’s eyes were soft as he took in how blotchy Calum’s face was but he knew he hadn’t done the wrong thing when he saw the ghost of a smile on his best friend’s face.

“I’m with you no matter what you decide to do,” Luke said softly, giving Calum’s shoulder as comforting squeeze. “We all are, Cal. No matter what.”

“I know you are,” Calum said, ducking his head as he gave his best friend a watery smile. “You take the bread and salad outside, okay? I’m gonna go wash my face in the bathroom so I don’t look like I’ve just been crying hysterically into your shoulder.”

“I wouldn’t say you were _hysterical_ ,” Luke teased gently but his smile was soft as he disappeared back out into the garden. Calum climbed the stairs quickly but, before he could wash the remnants of his tears away, he looked up and saw himself in the mirror. Calum stared silently, taking in his reflection as he lingered there in the dark room.

He looked older than he’d realised; wearier but tougher too maybe.

Calum thought he felt stronger than before.

He thought he might finally be brave enough to see his parents again.

Calum wanted that more than anything.

He heard a soft tapping as someone knocked on the doorframe and he turned towards the sound, a damp smile curving his lips when he saw Michael lingering in the open doorway. The younger boy’s emerald eyes were wide and soft, and his hair shone silvery in the shadows as the sun sank beneath the horizon.

“Cal?” Michael murmured, the concern in his voice obvious as he took in the way Calum’s eyelashes were still spiky with tears. Michael moved to cradle his boyfriend’s soft face gently between his palms and Calum hung his head. A small hurt sound escaped Michael when he stroked the pad of his thumb beneath one of the older man’s chocolate brown eyes because Michael could feel the faintest hint of tears there.

“Cally?” Michael asked softly, one hand winding gently through the dark-haired man’s curls in a way Michael knew he loved. He brushed his lips gently over Calum's forehead. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Quietly, Calum explained what Luke had told him; about how Calum was growing up and how his parents desperately wanted to reunite with him. When Calum admitted that he thought he might finally be strong enough to see them, Michael’s eyes swam with tears and he pulled Calum into a tight hug.

“I’m so proud of you,” the golden-haired boy murmured, his voice tearful as he pressed a hard kiss to Calum’s shoulder. “And I’ll be there with you, if you want me to be. I promise. You don’t have to be alone.”

“Thank you,” Calum murmured, pressing a soft kiss to Michael’s forehead as he stroked the younger boy’s cheekbone with his fingertips. “I love you more than you know, kitten.”

Michael’s green eyes were sparkling with tears but he couldn’t keep the happiness from his eyes.

It _blazed_ there and Calum was so grateful he was allowed to see Michael like this, when he was so raw and vulnerable and beautiful.

Michael made Calum feel _so_ alive.

“Let’s go back downstairs,” the dark-haired man said softly, lacing his fingers firmly with Michael’s and raising his boyfriend’s hand to brush a kiss over his knuckles. “I don’t want you to miss the barbecue we’re holding in your honour.”

Michael smiled warmly at him but he didn’t allow himself to relax until they emerged into the garden together and he realised that Calum’s content expression was genuine. The dark-haired man seemed to have accepted things now and Michael was so glad of it; Calum didn’t look like he was carrying a massive weight anymore.

His relief and acceptance made him so buoyant that he looked like he was _floating_ , and Michael held his hand tightly as the pair of them sat down in seats on the patio with their three best friends. There were a plate of burgers and hot dogs on the table now, and Luke was currently stuffing his face with bread and burger. Ashton was eating at a more sedate pace but Bryana didn’t start on her own food until Calum and Michael were sitting down too, rolling her dark eyes fondly at Ashton and Luke who apparently hadn’t been able to wait for them.

Calum kept one arm wrapped warmly around Michael and the younger boy leant against him comfortably as they ate, his head resting on Calum’s broad shoulder as the dark-haired man focused on his food. Bryana was watching the pair of them fondly and Luke kept smiling without meaning to, and Ashton couldn’t keep the grin from spreading across his face as he lifted his ever-present camera to take a picture of the pair of them together.

“Thank you,” Michael told Calum softly as he pushed his empty plate away, looking up at his boyfriend with starry eyes. When Calum simply watched him with mild confusion, Michael allowed a soft smile to spread across his face as he cupped Calum’s warm cheek comfortingly in his palm. “For my surprise,” Michael clarified. “Thank you. It’s very nice to have everyone back here together again.”

“Oh,” Calum said, expression clearing as he smiled timidly. “It’s my pleasure. There’s more to it than that though.” He was speaking earnestly, his eyes sparkling with excitement, and Michael watched him with so much love on his face that it hurt to look at. “I wanted this to be exactly like the first time you met everyone, right? Only without Luke spewing bullshit about jaffles and his beach body this time.”

“Don’t be fucking rude,” Luke mumbled but he was smiling anyway. Ashton wrapped his arm around the tall blond man’s shoulders and Bryana reached to pinch his cheek teasingly. Calum was still watching Michael with soft, solemn eyes but he couldn’t keep the smile from his face.

“It’s like the night we first kissed,” he added, his voice too soft for the others to overhear now. “It’s how we got to know each other… only without a fence separating us this time. Don’t you see, Mikey? I wanted it to be special.”

“It _is_ special,” the younger boy said softly and his voice was thick now as he allowed Calum to pull him into a tight hug, dropping a kiss onto his golden hair. “It’s perfect, Cal. Thank you so much for being so thoughtful.”

“Well, I love you,” Calum murmured, shrugging as an easy smile curved his lips. “I figured this was the least I could do.”

Michael stretched to kiss him and Calum sighed contentedly, a soft smile touching his lips when the golden-haired boy let his head fall to rest in the curve of his boyfriend’s neck.

“I love you too,” Michael said. “You make me feel like I belong.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Please let me know what you thought by leaving comments/kudos <3  
> There's only going to be about 2 updates left now! I can't believe how fast this has gone!


	13. To The Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to upload - I lost all motivation for ages and then, when I actually _wanted_ to write again, my laptop broke and I had to send it away to get fixed!  
>  (It's actually still broken but I might have sneakily written this at work... which is kind of weird now that I think about it but... whatever, you guys deserved an update.)  
> If I've missed any mistakes then I'll fix them later.  
> I hope you guys love this!  
> Enjoy!

The barbecue had been over for hours now but Michael and Calum stayed sitting together in the garden. The stars were beginning to flicker to life overhead and Michael’s emerald eyes glittered when he tipped his head back to gaze up at them but Calum couldn’t tear his eyes from his boyfriend; the younger boy was too beautiful.

“Tonight was so lovely, Cal,” Michael said out of nowhere, his voice soft and quiet beneath the evening sky as he tilted his head to rest against his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Thank you so much. You’re so thoughtful.”

Calum ducked his head, a dull blush colouring his cheeks as he wrapped his arm more securely around his boyfriend’s waist, cuddling him closer.

“It’s the least I could do,” Calum said, dimples dancing across his cheeks when he felt Michael smiling into his neck. “You’re incredible. I want to keep reminding you of how special you are.”

“I’m so lucky to have you,” Michael murmured but his smile was serene now as he let his eyes fall shut in contentment. A cool breeze was beginning to pick up and it stirred the grass, reminding Calum that he would need to cut it soon. Beside him, Michael shivered.

“You’re cold?” Calum asked, his tone worried although an idea was beginning to dawn on him. When Michael shrugged without looking too bothered, Calum came to a decision. “Up you get then,” he said, helping Michael rise and dropping a brief kiss onto the younger boy’s nose before he could stop himself. “I have an idea.”

Michael followed Calum curiously, a smile curving his lips although his confusion was evident as his boyfriend led him down the alleyway towards the garage. Calum gave Michael’s hand a reassuring squeeze and the golden-haired boy’s smile grew as he brushed a kiss onto the older man’s shoulder.

Michael felt so safe with Calum. He was so glad they had each other.

“Why’re we going in the garage?” Michael asked curiously when Calum fumbled with the keys to get the sliding door open. It slid up with a clang and Calum smiled his crinkly-eyed smile as he gestured for Michael to go on ahead of him. “Are you going to make me punch something again? Because the nostalgia would be cute and everything but I think I ate too much for any strenuous exercise.”

Calum pulled a purposefully suggestive expression upon hearing that and Michael couldn’t stop himself from giggling at how ridiculous his boyfriend was.

“I would like it said now that there are always exceptions to that rule,” the younger boy said with a wide grin. “Like… if you wanted to partake in certain _activities_ then, y’know, I could probably be persuaded…”

“Lame,” Calum said but he was smiling as he pressed a gentle kiss to his boyfriend’s lips. “But noted all the same. Now you sit down on the sofa and close your eyes, okay? I have a surprise for you.”

“ _Okay_ …” Michael said slowly but he was smiling as he flopped down onto the sofa with a content expression on his face. He was still wearing Calum’s t-shirt over his jeans and it fell down to mid-thigh as he folded his hands behind his head. His happy face was pale in the darkness. “I’m waiting.”

“You’re _sassy_ ,” Calum corrected but his chocolate brown eyes were fond as he began to rummage through one of the boxes of Christmas decorations being stored nearby. Michael listened carefully as he lay there but he couldn’t work out what Calum was doing; there was just the sound of sellotape being ripped from cardboard and a mysterious chinking noise which would presumably make more sense in a minute.

Calum made a small triumphant noise as the unmistakable sound of a plug being pushed into a socket broke the quiet and Michael frowned despite himself. He had absolutely no idea what was going on.

“It’s done, Mikey,” Calum suddenly declared, his tone slightly smug. “You can open your eyes now.”

Michael did as he was told – it would probably never happen again so he hoped Calum would appreciate it – and his heart clenched excitedly in his chest as he took in the scene in front of him. Calum had strung fairy lights up around the garage and they sparkled a soft white-gold in the darkness as Michael took them in with something like wonder on his face. Calum’s phone was balanced on one of the boxes nearby, the screen lit up as a song played although it was quiet enough to be background noise. Michael strained to hear it for just a moment, heard familiar female vocals as the words swam through the inky darkness between them.

‘ _We could slow dance to rock music and kiss while we do it._ ’

“Lana Del Rey?” Michael guessed and Calum nodded confirmation.

“Freak,” he said, meaning the song title. Michael pretended to be offended and Calum rolled his dark eyes fondly, drifting closer as the younger boy rose to meet him. His arms wound gently around Calum’s waist and the dark-haired man pressed a soft kiss to his boyfriend’s forehead.

“You big softie. Look at you being all romantic,” Michael teased but his eyes were so loving as he took in the beautiful lights twinkling around them. “It’s lovely, Cal. _You’re_ lovely.”

“So are you.”

Michael smiled as he let his cheek rest gently against the older man’s chest. Calum’s arms came to wrap warmly around him as they swayed slowly to the music.

“We’re dancing,” Michael realised, letting out a little huff of surprised laughter. Calum’s face softened, his hand tightening on the younger boy’s elbow when he stumbled slightly when his shoe caught on the rug. Calum rolled his eyes fondly but he couldn’t resist giggling when Michael accidentally stepped on his foot because it was just so **them**.

Michael stretched up to scatter kisses across Calum’s jaw and the older man hummed contentedly when their noses brushed because Michael was so cute like this; just like a kitten as his little fingers tangled gently in Calum’s curls, and the older man’s hands settled warm and comfortable on Michael’s waist.

The pair of them slipped into a contented silence, just basking in the closeness and how safe they felt wrapped in each other’s arms. Everything felt perfect in that moment; real and ever-changing, and more precious than anything in the world.

“I love you,” Michael whispered and Calum pressed his smile into Michael’s hair. “I love you so completely.”

“I love you too,” Calum promised, his voice thick with suppressed emotion. “With my whole heart,”

The words felt different tonight, more special maybe. They were so deeply in love and Michael knew he would never tire of this. He’d worried once upon a time that Calum would outgrow him; that he’d grow bored or restless; that maybe he’d even stop _loving_ him.

Gazing up into his face now though, Michael could see he’d been mistaken.

Their relationship wasn’t just a passing fling; a single snapshot in the storybook that made up their lives. Michael thought this might be _forever_ and that didn’t scare him in the slightest; he needed Calum like he needed the sun.

“Mikey?” Calum whispered and the golden-haired boy looked up at him, frowning faintly when he realised how blurry the older man looked; then he felt the tears on his cheeks and realisation dawned on his face. “Why’re you crying?” Calum asked in a hushed voice. Michael gave him a watery smile.

“‘Cause I love you so much it hurts sometimes,” he said, his voice catching a little although his boyfriend was kind enough not to call him out on it. His heart felt like it was swelling in his chest. “I’m never going to stop, Cal. Not ever.”

Calum’s own eyes welled with tears as he heard that but his smile refused to fade as he lifted Michael right off his feet into the warmest cuddle ever.

“I’m never going to stop either,” Calum promised, his dark curls messy where Michael was tangling his fingers in them, his eyes sparkling in the fairy lights. “I love you to the moon, Mikey.”

Michael cuddled him tighter as he slipped his hands beneath Calum’s shirt, smoothing them over the warm skin of his boyfriend’s back comfortingly. Calum set the younger boy back on his feet and ducked down to kiss Michael softly, and the golden-haired boy whimpered and arched his back, full lips parting on a soft gasp as Calum licked hot into his mouth.

It made Michael’s stomach fill with excited butterflies as one of Calum’s hands slid down to the small of his back to hold him closer. Calum was warm pressed up against him and Michael felt dizzy when they broke apart to breathe, smiling up at Calum shamelessly as his head spun with the heat unfurling inside him.

“You should pull this sofa out into a bed so that we can snuggle,” Michael said, stretching up on his tiptoes to press another brief kiss to his boyfriend’s lips and, although Calum did as he was asked, he shot Michael a slightly knowing look all the same.

“This is like when you lied about wanting to watch a film with me upstairs, isn’t it?” Calum said knowingly as he secured the bed carefully, patting the duvet flat as he did so. Michael giggled behind him and Calum smirked a little. “Are you trying to seduce me again?”

“Don’t think I’ll have to do too much seducing,” Michael pointed out when his eyes flickered down to where Calum was half-hard in his jeans. “Never knew you were so easy, Cal. String up a few fairy lights and you’re anyone’s.”

Calum let out a surprised bark of laughter as he reached to hold Michael’s hips securely, pulling the younger boy safely into his lap.

“Rude,” Calum whispered, pressing a kiss to Michael’s mouth and catching the younger boy’s bottom lip lightly with his teeth. “I’m not anyone else’s, kitten. Just yours.”

“I love hearing that so much,” Michael admitted breathlessly as the pair of them sank down onto the sofa bed. It creaked a little under their combined weight but the fairy lights overhead were glimmering beautifully and Michael could still feel butterflies.

Their hips slotted together almost unconsciously and Michael whined when he felt Calum’s cock pressing down against where his own was trapped in his jeans. Michael’s legs were spread lazily on the duvet as Calum grinded down gently and the younger boy’s cherry-red lips fell open around a soft moan as Calum kissed slowly down his neck.

“ _Cal_ ,” Michael whimpered and Calum groaned at how wrecked Michael already sounded, pressing a bruising kiss to his boyfriend’s lips as their cocks hardened between them. Michael’s hands squirmed under Calum’s t-shirt, raising it clumsily so that he could scratch gently at his boyfriend’s muscular back, and Calum’s breath escaped him in a hiss as he bit Michael’s bottom lip again.

“How far do you want to –”

“All the way,” Michael gasped out, the desperation clear on his face although his soft green eyes blazed with determination. Calum’s mouth fell open in surprise and Michael tangled his fingers in his boyfriend’s hair, tugging him down lightly for a kiss which didn’t progress anywhere because Calum was still gaping at him in apparent shock.

“Are you sure you’re… sure?” Calum sounded stunned and Michael smiled awkwardly, chewing his bottom lip until Calum freed it gently with the pad of his thumb, pressing a little kiss there instead.

“I’m sure,” Michael promised and, despite the faint nervousness colouring his tone, he seemed to mean it. “I’ve wanted this for ages, Cal. Since that time in the fucking _shower_.” He let out a soft breathless laugh but Calum groaned quietly at the memory. “I just wanted to be sure.”

“I need you to be,” Calum said quietly, his dark eyes serious despite how flushed he looked as he cradled Michael’s cheek gently in his trembling palm. “I don’t ever wanna hurt you, kitten. You mean everything to me. You’re my whole _world_.”

Michael gazed up at him, a soft smile curving his lips as he stroked Calum’s cheeks gently with his fingertips.

“You mean everything to me too,” the golden-haired boy whispered, humming contentedly when Calum pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “That’s why I want this.”

“Okay,” Calum whispered, chocolate brown eyes twinkling as he smiled at Michael. “Okay. Just… let me go get the stuff,” he mumbled, jerking his thumb awkwardly towards the house. “Do you want to wait here or –”

Michael felt heartened at how flustered Calum seemed and he felt something calm inside him.

“I’ll stay here,” the younger boy said calmly, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Calum’s mouth although his heart was beating too fast in his chest. Calum nodded but, when he moved to push himself up, the golden-haired boy wrapped his fingers loosely around Calum’s wrist. “Don’t be long,” Michael cautioned and Calum saw the vulnerability for what it was, his expression softening.

“I’ll be back before the song ends,” he promised, pressing a fleeting kiss to Michael’s cheek before he was scrambling up off the sofa bed and hurtling towards the garage door. He ricocheted off one of the boxes as he slid the door open and Michael chuckled despite himself.

“Try not to maim yourself,” the younger boy added and Calum scoffed at him, clearly fighting a smile.

“Stop sassing me,” Calum retorted. He disappeared into the house and Michael shivered at the cool air, kicking his shoes off and slipping under the duvet before he decided to wriggle out of his jeans too. He kept Calum’s t-shirt on since the familiar smell calmed him and he felt his cheeks go hot when the blue silk of his underwear caught deliciously against his half-hard cock.

“Hurry up, Calum,” Michael murmured but, no sooner had the words escaped him, his boyfriend returned. Calum looked very proud of himself as he emptied his pockets onto one of the sealed boxes nearby, dropping a little bottle of lube and a handful of condoms there before he went to shut the door again.

“How many times were you planning to fuck me?” Michael asked bluntly when he saw how many condoms his boyfriend had grabbed, hiding his nervousness behind bluster. (He figured, with a touch of unease, that perhaps he’d picked this habit up from his father.) Calum simply rolled his eyes though, brushing Michael’s cheekbone gently with his knuckles.

“Just the once should be enough, kitten,” Calum said teasingly. “It never hurts to be prepared though. It isn’t like the films – I don’t want to accidentally tear the condom and then have to go looking for another one. That’d kill the mood somewhat.”

“I’ll probably find a way to do that anyway,” Michael pointed out but he was smiling now, nibbling his bottom lip anxiously although his pupils were blown. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from Calum’s face; couldn’t stop his heart from melting at the _love_ he could see there.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” Michael breathed and a needy sound escaped Calum as he climbed back into bed beside Michael, settling down over him and groaning quietly when he realised that his boyfriend had already taken his jeans off. Calum struggled out of his own with only mild difficulty and Michael was smiling as he drew the older man into a kiss, sucking Calum’s lip into his mouth and biting down on it lightly when Calum reached to rub the heel of his palm over Michael’s cock, coaxing him to full hardness.

“ _Cal_ ,” Michael gasped as lust rippled through him. Calum smirked, leaning to suck kisses into the pale skin of his boyfriend’s shoulders as he eased his hand carefully into the heat of Michael’s underwear. The silk was cool against Calum’s skin and a whine built in Michael’s throat as Calum wrapped his fingers around the younger boy’s cock, smearing his thumb over the head and spreading the pre-cum down the shaft. Michael’s hips jerked and his breath was punched out of him in a broken gasp, and Calum smiled as he pushed Michael’s t-shirt up, ducking his head to wash his tongue over the younger boy’s nipple. The sudden damp heat made Michael groan and his hips began to shift restlessly into Calum’s fist as he panted hotly, the flush beginning to spread down his chest.

Michael’s hands twisted in the soft fabric of the pillows and Calum’s dimples creased his cheeks when he saw the leather bracelet he’d made still tied around Michael’s wrist.

“You’re amazing, baby boy,” Calum whispered, his heart so full of love that it almost hurt to breathe around. Michael’s thigh slipped between Calum’s legs to give him some much needed friction and the dark-haired man shifted unconsciously, moaning quietly when he felt the heat spreading pleasantly through his stomach. “So lucky to have you, kitten. Love you so much.”

“Cal, _please_ ,” Michael gasped out, his eyes damp with tears as he drew Calum in for another desperate kiss. Michael’s small hands fell to pull shakily at his underwear and Calum helped him out of it carefully. “Ready for you to… _Please_.”

“Okay,” Calum said reassuringly, bumping his lips against Michael’s in a clumsy kiss as he reached blindly for the lube. It was cool on his fingers when he squeezed some out, the sound embarrassing and unmistakable in the quiet, and Calum could feel himself blushing as he warmed the lube carefully between his fingers, slicking them up. “It’s okay, Mikey. I’ve got you.”

Michael clung to Calum, arms wrapped tightly around the dark-haired man’s broad shoulders as he reached down to stroke a lube wet finger over Michael’s soft pink hole. The golden-haired boy gasped raggedly, his hips jerking when Calum pushed the tip in gently. Michael moaned as he pushed back desperately against the pressure, already wanting Calum deeper… god, always so desperate for anything Calum would give him.

Michael moaned brokenly when Calum pushed his finger deeper, beginning to thrust it in and out gently as the lust made Michael’s toes curl. The pleasure was making Michael’s head spin now and he could feel how Calum was beginning to leak inside his boxers because the older man was still rocking his hips unconsciously against his boyfriend’s thigh.

When Calum slipped another finger in beside the first, a whine tore out of Michael that was so impossibly hot that Calum couldn’t resist sucking a kiss into his throat, bursting the blood vessels and bruising the skin with his teeth as Michael cried out Calum’s name, the word humid against his boyfriend’s neck as pre-cum welled on the head of his cock.

“You’re so hot, Mikey. So good,” Calum whispered as he began to scissor his fingers, stretching the muscles gently as a desperate sob tore out of the younger boy. “So good for me, aren’t you? Love you, Mikey. Love you so much.”

Calum kissed the tears from Michael’s cheeks as the younger boy worked his hips back desperately against Calum’s fingers, chasing the feeling of being full. Calum’s cock was fully hard and leaking now, and he groaned softly at the sight of the love-bite he’d sucked into the pale skin of Michael’s throat.

“My good boy,” Calum whispered as he carefully eased a third finger in alongside the others.

Michael couldn’t keep his needy sounds in anymore and his eyelashes were spiky with tears when he gazed up at Calum, barely able to see him past the dampness in his eyes as the fairy lights made everything pleasantly hazy. It made Calum look like he had a halo almost and Michael wanted to joke about it but… but he couldn’t concentrate on the words when Calum was opening him up like that… when he was taking him carefully to pieces with his long fingers and his mouth latched onto Michael’s throat, darkening the bruise there.

Michael felt so good that he couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore. He was leaking enough that the head of his cock felt slippery with it now and the heat coiling between his legs was almost too much to bear as his muscles fluttered, clenching reflexively around Calum’s long fingers. A cry clawed its way out of Michael’s throat when Calum’s fingertips finally pressed against his prostate and the pleasure inside Michael made him feel like he was about to burst as his breath tore out of him in a gasp.

“Mikey?” Calum whispered, kissing another tear from Michael’s cheek lovingly as he took in the younger boy’s overheated face with adoration saturating his expression. “Are you okay, kitten?”

“Yeah,” Michael murmured. “I’m ready, Cal. I need –” His voice broke when Calum eased his fingers out carefully and the golden-haired boy’s face crumpled at the sudden emptiness. Calum’s heart panged as he pressed a soft kiss to Michael’s swollen lips.

“You sure you’re ready?” Calum breathed and Michael nodded, squaring his jaw as he looked up at Calum with blazing eyes. The look on his pale face took Calum’s breath away, and he couldn’t help but kiss him when he saw the vulnerability and the love twisting to form something so heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Calum realised then that he would never let Michael go.

He was the best thing that would ever happen to him.

That was why Calum was determined to keep Michael safe and happy. The younger boy was precious and Calum loved him more than he would ever be able to put into words… not that that would stop him from _trying_ of course. Calum intended to keep telling Michael he loved him for the rest of their lives.

“You wanna keep my t-shirt on?” Calum suggested breathlessly as he carded his fingers comfortingly through the younger boy’s hair, kissing his sweaty forehead. “Might make you feel more comfortable?”

Michael bit his lip, nodding slowly as a hesitant smile twisted his lips. He seemed to be trying to calm himself and Calum was so proud of him; loved him so much he felt like he was going to burst with it. He hoped his boyfriend knew how much he adored him.

Calum hoped Michael never forgot.

“Thank you, Cal,” the golden-haired boy said quietly before he suddenly seemed to remember how turned on he was. “ _Please_ can you… please?”

“Yes,” Calum whispered, brushing a soft kiss over Michael’s cherry-red lips before he kicked his boxers off, reaching for a condom and rolling it on with only mild difficulty before he squeezed some of the lube into his palm. Calum fisted his achingly hard cock swiftly to slick himself up, shuddering at the feeling of his fingers wrapped loosely around himself.

He was already so desperate that even this felt like too much. He didn’t think he was going to last long at all but he had a feeling Michael was probably feeling much the same right now. The younger boy’s hand had fallen to tug distractedly at his own cock and the pleasure was making two points of colour bloom on Michael’s cheeks as he drew his bottom lip into his mouth, watching his boyfriend with darkened eyes.

“Love you,” Calum whispered and Michael’s eyes sparkled as his hand fell from his cock to smooth comfortingly down Calum’s ribs instead, taking in his boyfriend’s dimples and tattooed skin.

“Love you back,” Michael said with a faint smile. “Please, Cal. Want you.”

“Want you too, baby boy,” Calum whispered, eyes crinkling sweetly as he stroked Michael’s hair back from his forehead. “Want you so bad… but this is about you, okay? Not me.” He kissed Michael gently when the younger boy started to protest, waiting until he had quietened and relaxed before he drew away. “You just tell me if you need me to stop, okay?” Calum asked seriously, his dark eyes soft but leaving no room for argument. “Don’t stay quiet if something hurts or you don’t like it or something. I’d never forgive myself if I hurt you. You have to promise me, Mikey, okay?”

Michael regarded him with slightly wide eyes but he looked touched and the love on his face never faded.

“Of course, Cal,” he said softly, stretching up to kiss Calum lightly on the cheek. “I promise. Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

Calum flushed with pleasure at those words and Michael smiled, settling back more comfortably on the thin mattress although he shot Calum a pointed look that clearly said ‘ _get on with it already_ ’. Calum rolled his eyes good-naturedly but he couldn’t resist the smile curving his lips as he ran his hands comfortingly down Michael’s sides through the soft cotton of the t-shirt.

“Never wanna let you go, kitten,” Calum breathed as he spread Michael’s thighs gently, shifting forwards until their cocks brushed together slickly, making a soft whine escape Michael as his cock throbbed against his tummy. “Not ever.”

“Then don’t,” Michael challenged but he couldn’t keep the desperation from his face anymore, especially when Calum grinded against him unconsciously, bringing them both closer to the edge.

“Please,” Michael begged thickly, the word hot against his boyfriend’s skin and saturated with so much lust that Calum could already feel it threatening to undo him. “Need you so bad, Cal. _Please_.”

“I will,” Calum promised. “I’ve got you. Just try to relax, kitten, okay? It’ll feel so good.”

Calum looked down between them as he spoke, taking in the little whimper that escaped Michael as he carefully lined himself up. Calum shifted closer once he was satisfied, moving so that the head of his cock caught on Michael’s hole and threatened to push inside although, frustratingly, he didn’t actually let it. Calum tilted his head to the side hesitantly instead and, when Michael nodded jerkily at him with too-bright eyes and flushed cheeks, Calum began to push in.

The pressure and friction was instantly wonderful but, in the back of Calum’s mind behind the haze of lust rapidly clouding his thoughts, he knew Michael had to feel a lot more overwhelmed. The younger boy’s breath escaped him in a broken gasp and his eyes grew wet at the steady burning push as Calum filled the emptiness inside him… making him feel _whole_ almost… like Calum was all Michael had ever needed.

Michael couldn’t find his voice when Calum asked him if he was okay but he nodded urgently, clawing at Calum’s back unthinkingly as the older man buried himself inside Michael with a soft groan. A whine tore out of Michael and he moaned brokenly when he felt himself clenching unconsciously around the heat of Calum’s cock, feeling so spread and full that everything but this moment slipped right out of his head.

All that mattered was now.

“ _Please_ ,” Michael cried out when the unmoving press of Calum’s cock became too much. “Please, Cal, _please_. Need you to – _fuck_!” Michael’s moan was torn from him when Calum rocked his hips gently, drawing back a little and thrusting back in just as carefully. The pleasure was making Michael want to cry now as the dull ache faded and his cock leaked pearly drops of pre-cum over his pale skin. “Yeah,” the younger boy whispered, eyes slipping shut in contentment as Calum fucked in a little deeper. “Yeah, Cally, just like that.”

Heartened, Calum’s hands fell to grip Michael’s soft waist as his thrusts slowly became faster. He was careful not to let them get harder though; Michael might be enjoying this but Calum didn’t want to _break_ him. His boyfriend was far too precious for any sort of carelessness at all.

“So lovely, baby boy,” Calum whispered, letting his forehead rest gently against Michael’s as he changed the angle of his hips, searching for –

 _There_.

A strangled sob escaped Michael when Calum’s cock hit his prostate and Calum felt almost delirious as he hid his smile in his boyfriend’s neck, sucking and kissing the sensitive skin there as Michael threatened to shudder apart in his arms.

He was making soft surprised sounds with every thrust now, his body shifting further up the bed as Calum hit his prostate again and again, dragging these little choked whimpers and moans from him as the tears leaked down his overheated cheeks.

Michael felt so hot and tight around Calum, and the dark-haired man could already feel his orgasm building inside him. His stomach was tightening and one of Michael’s hands had just knotted in his hair, bringing him even _closer_ , and the dark-haired man wasn’t going to last another minute.

“Can’t believe you’re giving me this,” Calum gasped out, head falling to rest on Michael’s shoulder as his breath tore out of him in a whine. The younger boy could barely process his boyfriend’s words anymore; he was too far gone.

Every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire with how incredible this felt and Calum’s cock sliding deep inside him was tearing Michael’s self-control apart. His fingers were tangling tightly in Calum’s curls and his cock was flushed an angry red now, leaking and throbbing as it brushed teasingly against the toned muscles of Calum’s tanned stomach.

“ _Fuck_ , Mikey,” Calum gasped out when Michael started to fuck himself back onto Calum’s cock, wrapping his shaking legs tightly around his boyfriend’s waist. “You’re so amazing. This is so –”

Calum broke off with a startled moan when Michael suddenly clenched down tightly around him, a desperate groan tearing out of him when Calum hit his prostate straight on.

The pleasure rising inside Michael – mere sparks before – ignited like gasoline and Michael’s climax hit him without warning.

His eyes fell shut and he stilled, body going rigid against Calum’s as he clenched rhythmically around the older man’s cock, cum spurting out onto his heaving chest as the pleasure flooded through him. His pale face was illuminated by the soft glow of the fairy lights as he fell apart with a cry of Calum’s name which quickly subsided into sobs. His face was blotchy and his golden hair was sticking to his forehead, and his fingers were still twisting just a little bit too tightly in the dark-haired man’s curls.

When Michael’s emerald green eyes flickered open and Calum saw the love burning in them, that was all it took.

He came with a soft gasp, his hips grinding in deep as he chased the friction, his face tucked away safely into Michael’s neck as their bodies shuddered through the aftershocks together. Michael cuddled Calum closer once the older man had eased out and kissed his boyfriend through the ache, wiping their tears away with the corner of the duvet before Michael snuggled closer, tangling their legs together warmly.

Calum’s dark eyes fluttered open after a few moments, his expression dazed but full of love and gratitude. Michael hummed contentedly, apparently too wrecked to speak although he couldn’t stop the wide smile from spreading across his face.

Calum kissed Michael softly before he began to move so that he could lie beside his boyfriend instead of on top of him. Michael didn’t want that though; he liked the feeling of being blanketed by Calum’s body and, with a slight shrug, the dark-haired man flopped back down again, laying half on top of the younger boy with his head resting gently on Michael’s stomach.

Words didn’t seem to be necessary now; Calum simply brushed a soft kiss over the pale skin, too tired to do anything else. He felt relief coursing through him when he saw how happy and satisfied Michael looked, and a deep sigh escaped Calum when Michael began to run his fingers lightly through the dark-haired man’s curls, gently easing out the tangles.

Michael barely had the energy to keep his eyes open anymore but he didn’t mind; the glow of the fairy lights mirrored the happiness he could feel saturating the air between them, tangible when he saw the adoration reflected back at him in his boyfriend’s lovely eyes.

Michael couldn’t stop smiling but that was nothing new.

With Calum beside him, he felt like he was finally whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> I really hope you liked this and I can't wait to hear what you think <3
> 
> Only the epilogue left to go now....


	14. Sure About You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! This is the last chapter of **that's why you like it** and I'm so emotional right now.  
>  If there's any mistakes I've missed then I'll fix them later!  
> Enjoy! :D

Michael woke up to warm sunlight and soft fingertips dancing across the milky skin of his back. His cheek was pressed to Calum’s bare chest and the older man was smiling his crinkly-eyed smile when Michael finally persuaded himself to raise his head. The walls of their bedroom were still a pearly grey and the younger man’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pyjama top was faded now but he continued to wear it.

It didn’t matter to either of them that Michael was twenty two now; if he wanted to wear a baggy t-shirt with four fictional anthropomorphic turtles named after Renaissance Italian artists then he damn well would.

“Morning, kitten,” Calum murmured, his chocolate brown eyes undeniably fond and his dimples creasing his cheeks as he smiled, almost like he could tell what his boyfriend was thinking. Michael snuggled closer to him, his arms wrapping securely around the older man’s waist. He could feel his boyfriend’s words where his ear was pressed to Calum’s chest and the closeness made him so deeply content.

“Mikey,” Calum said quietly, his tone wry with amusement when the younger man’s soft green eyes slipped shut. “We need to get up.”

“Ten more minutes,” Michael mumbled, pressing his face into Calum’s chest and giggling sleepily when his boyfriend let his fingers lightly tickle Michael’s ribs. Soft lips brushed his golden hair and Michael looked up, smiling despite himself.

“We don’t have ten more minutes,” Calum said, giving Michael a reprimanding poke on the nose. “We have a busy day today. Surely you remember?”

Michael smiled as he thought about their plans for the day. They were meeting Ashton and Bryana, and Luke and Brian for breakfast at ten - Michael refused to call it brunch although that was undoubtedly what it was - and then he was going with Calum to visit Mali and Tom later that afternoon.

Calum’s parents would be there too and Michael was so glad that was no longer cause for stress. Calum had reunited with Joy and David Hood almost five years ago - a year before Michael’s parents had moved out of the area and the younger man had moved in with his boyfriend - and, as time went by, Calum and his parents had worked together to rebuild their relationship.

Michael was so glad of it and he knew Mali felt the same too. The pair of them had met up a week before while Calum was training his team for the Australian Football League championships. They’d gone to a bar and got slightly tipsy drinking red wine, and Mali had thanked Michael for encouraging Calum to follow his heart and give his parents a chance to apologise.

Michael couldn’t accept her gratitude alone though. He knew Luke’s love had played a part too; Ashton’s support and Bryana’s kindness. Calum was still surrounded by people who loved him and Michael hoped that was always the case.

Calum would never feel alone again.

“Fine,” Michael said, grumbling good-naturedly as he allowed Calum to pull him from the warmth of the bed. “But I think I deserve at least a hand job in the shower if you’re making me stand up.” Calum snorted but the sound was undeniably fond as he drew the younger man into a gentle hug, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

“Whoever said romance was dead?” Calum teased.

*

The tattoo parlour was hot and stuffy, and Michael was panicking just a little bit. Calum was reclining in the leather chair, one tanned arm stretched out as the tattooist worked on adding Michael’s name in a swirling font beneath the flower inked into Calum’s bicep. It was cliche and possibly a little bit _too_ sweet but Michael was so in love with it -

At least until he glanced down and saw a bead of blood welling up on Calum’s soft skin.

Michael blanched visibly, folding his arms loosely across his chest and leaning back in his chair with a shaky sigh. Calum opened his dark eyes - still glittering even when he was getting tattooed by a scary lady in a smock - and the easy expression on his face became faintly concerned when he saw the delicate green Michael had turned.

“Mikey?” Calum asked softly, making the tattooist glance up at the golden-haired man warily. “You okay, babe? You need to step outside?”

“I’m okay,” Michael said unconvincingly, his voice several octaves too high. He winced. “You’re just… bleeding a little bit. I didn’t think there’d be blood.”

“Your boyfriend’s skin is being punctured repeatedly by a needle,” the woman said in a dry voice. “Of course he’s bleeding. It would be weird if he _wasn’t_.”

“Not helping,” Calum said.

“Not sorry,” the woman retorted but her eyes were sparkling a little and she winked when Michael looked up at her shyly. “So,” she continued, blue eyes bright as she focused on finishing Calum’s tattoo. “Do you think _you’ll_ be coming back here for a tattoo one day, Michael?” she asked.

“No way,” Michael said faintly, looking at the blood and shuddering despite himself. “Wait, how do you know my name?” She looked at him blandly and Calum snickered to himself, and Michael felt his cheeks heating scarlet when he looked at the newest tattoo adorning Calum’s skin.

“Oh,” Michael mumbled, cheeks heating. “You just tattooed my name on his arm.”

“Very good,” she said teasingly. “Well, there’s that and the fact that he didn’t stop going on about you during his consultation. It was so sweet I had to go and clean my teeth afterwards. I’ll probably need fillings.”

“You can send us your dentist’s bill then, Lucy,” Calum said and the woman smiled despite herself as she finished up, setting the tattoo machine down and stretching out her back.

“It’s finished,” she said, gesturing for Calum to move. She gave Michael a surprisingly soft smile as he helped Calum up, fingers entwining gently with the older man’s. “Go and have a look in the mirror, yeah? Make sure you’re happy with it.”

Calum did as she asked, weaving between the two leather chairs and coming to a stop in front of the mirror. Michael hovered beside him, his green eyes growing damp as he saw the letters curving into Calum’s reddened skin.

“That’s me,” Michael breathed shakily as one of the tears slipped free. Calum’s face softened as he cupped Michael’s cheeks gently, pressing a soft, loving kiss to his boyfriend’s lips.

“You,” Calum repeated solemnly.

Lucy appeared behind them, still wearing her gloves as she tilted her head to one side curiously. “Happy with it?” she checked and, when Calum nodded gratefully, she allowed a soft smile to touch her lips. “Brilliant,” she said as she reached for a small square bandage and some tape. “I’ll just wrap it up for you and then you can come upstairs to discuss the payment, okay?”

“Sure,” Calum said as she applied the bandage carefully. “That’s brilliant. Thank you so much, Lucy.”

She left them alone in the studio and Calum let out a pent-up breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding in. His curls were sticking to his forehead with sweat from how warm it was in the room and Michael let his head fall to rest gently on his boyfriend’s broad shoulder.

“I love you, Cal,” Michael said softly. Calum grinned, dark eyes crinkling as he flung his good arm around Michael’s waist, almost sweeping the smaller man off his feet as the golden-haired man let out a startled laugh.

“Love you too, Mikey,” Calum promised, pressing a soft kiss to Michael’s nose before his expression became faintly concerned. “You still look a little peaky though. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Rude,” Michael grinned before he sobered a little. “I’m alright though. I just… you know… hate blood… and now I feel a bit shitty because I always said I wanted tattoos but that just showed me that I am in no way ready to let Lucy stab me repeatedly in the arm with a needle.”

“It’s actually nothing like that,” Calum pointed out fairly but his eyes remained soft. “Doesn’t matter though, Mike. No one’s judging you. If you don’t want it then you don’t have to. It’s your body. No one can make you do anything you don’t want to.”

“Yeah…” Michael’s cheeks were flaming as he helped Calum gather his things before the pair of them headed towards the stairs leading up to the shopfront. “But I really _did_ want a pretty flower tattoo,” he said sadly.

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much,” Calum said and there was something faintly knowing in his tone now. “I think I have an idea.”

He wouldn’t tell Michael what it was and the golden-haired man didn’t bother to get irritated by it. Calum had always liked surprising him with things and Michael had grown to enjoy it more the older he got. This time, fortunately, Calum didn’t make him wait too long.

The dark-haired man was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for him when Michael got home the next day, parking his slightly battered car on the driveway behind Calum’s before he carried his empty lunchbox over to the sink.

“Hey, babe,” Calum said in a purposefully innocent voice. “Did you have a good day?”

“It was alright,” Michael allowed but his lips were curving into a smile now as he turned to survey his boyfriend. Calum was sitting in his usual seat, hiding whatever he was doing behind the fruit bowl. Michael wondered vaguely if Calum would ever realise that this never exactly worked and a part of him hoped he didn’t; it reminded him of the pink leather bracelet Calum had once made him that Michael was still wearing even now.

“I know you said you weren’t ready for a tattoo,” Calum began, his soft brown eyes drinking in the fondness saturating Michael’s face. “But I found a way around that. Come and sit with me, Mikey. Move aside the fruit bowl of destiny.”

“Weirdo,” Michael said but the word was decidedly fond as he did what his boyfriend had asked. His eyebrows rose when he saw a damp paper towel and a little cut out shape that Calum quickly shielded with his hand. “What’re we doing, Cal?”

“Give me your arm,” Calum said instead of replying. “Gimee, gimee. Quick. Before the paper towel dries.”

Michael rolled his eyes but did as Calum asked, pushing his sleeve back and letting his arm rest on the tabletop. Calum wiped it quickly to clean the skin on the inside of his wrist and then patted it dry before he reached for the little cut out shape, peeling a layer of plastic away and pushing it picture-side down onto his boyfriend’s skin.

A smile was beginning to grow on Michael’s face now as an inkling of what Calum was doing occurred to him. Calum beamed proudly when he covered the little shape with a damp cloth and Michael hummed contentedly as they waited. Calum’s feet brushed his under the table and Michael’s heart swelled with love as they sat together in their little kitchen, taking in the fridge door covered in pictures of them and the wild flowers gathered in a vase on the table beside them.

“Think it might be done,” Calum said vaguely but he was still smiling as he carefully removed the cloth. After a slight hesitation, Calum reached to carefully peel the little cut-out shape from his boyfriend’s skin.

Michael laughed delightedly when he saw the little flower tattoo Calum had left on his arm. It was a little daisy with a black outline and the golden-haired man couldn’t keep the smile off his face when Calum drew him into a gentle hug on his lap.

“This is the cutest thing ever, Cal,” Michael grinned, his emerald eyes sparkling as he drew the older man into a soft kiss. “The actual _cutest_.”

“Really? Guess I better up my game,” Calum teased but there was something twinkling in his eyes as he pressed a gentle kiss to the younger man’s jaw. “I’m glad you like it, kitten.”

“I love it,” Michael corrected honestly, his eyes blazing sincerity as he smiled down at the little flower fondly. “Maybe I’ll be brave enough to get this for real one day.”

“Maybe,” Calum said but his tone was still just as soft as it had been the day before. “When you’re sure.”

“I’m sure about you, Cal,” Michael said and the dark-haired man smiled gently.

“I know you are,” Calum said and there was _definitely_ something buried in his eyes now… something excited and hopeful and _adoring_. “I’m sure about you too, Mike. I always have been.”

Michael settled back against him with a contented sigh and Calum’s arms were warm as they curled protectively around his boyfriend’s soft waist. The sun was just beginning to set behind their garden fence and, for just a moment, it reminded Michael of the first evening he’d ever spent at Calum’s house, with spaghetti and ‘kitten’, and their first real kiss together.

“I love you so fucking much,” Michael said softly, his voice thick with it for a moment, and Calum laughed giddily as he cuddled Michael tighter, grumbling cheerfully when Michael got up to open the fridge, probably trying to decide what to cook them for dinner.

“That’s good then,” Calum said suddenly, catching the younger man’s attention. “Or this would be _so_ awkward.”

Michael turned slowly and his heart clenched in his chest when he saw Calum on one knee in the middle of their kitchen, a ring box balanced in his palm as he gave Michael a crooked smile.

“Maybe we can finally try out that whole marriage thing we keep joking about,” Calum said, his voice light but _so_ soft as he lay his heart there for Michael to see. “What do you say, kitten?”

“Holy shit, Calum,” Michael gasped out, leaning back heavily against the counter as he clutched his chest. “You did _not_ just propose to me like that.”

“So is that a no?” Calum asked innocently but his eyes were crinkling and he was smiling brighter than his boyfriend had ever seen as he set the ring box shakily on the table. Michael launched himself at his boyfriend and Calum cackled as the pair of them tumbled down onto the kitchen floor, arms winding around each other and pink rising in their cheeks. Michael rolled his eyes so fondly as he tangled his fingers in Calum’s dark curls, drawing him in for a soft kiss.

“It’s a yes, you idiot,” Michael said softly, his eyelashes spiky with tears, the adoration flooding his face.

“Good. That’s good,” Calum said quietly but he was beaming _so_ much right now. “I love you too, kitten.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe the story is finally over!  
> I've been writing it for almost a year now, give or take a couple of months, and I can't believe how fast the time has flown! I can't thank you enough for sticking by Michael and Calum on their journey, and I can't even tell you how much your feedback meant - you encouraged me to continue every time I felt like I couldn't and it means the whole world. :)  
> Thank you all so, so, _so_ much for reading!  <3  
> Please let me know what you thought - just one more time, yeah?

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Please let me know what you thought by leaving comments and kudos :)


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